The Ruined
by LoveandChampionships
Summary: Randy has always been a bit of a reclusive man, but is there more to him than anyone ever knew or imagined? Will the help of a new storyline and diva help him learn what it means to trust and love again?
1. Prologue

**Lacey's POV**

Destiny never really made much sense to me. How could something like that or fate be true? Everyone made their own choices in life, right? I could be destined to become the greatest human being that ever walked the Earth, but I could also make the choice to throw it all away with one bad decision. Wasn't it really decisions that determined everything in life? When it all comes down to it, it's about choosing between one thing or another.

Or maybe destiny is stronger than anything. Either way, I believe we all end up where we're supposed to be. Perhaps it was fate that I would fracture my ankle and have to take leave from the WWE. But I overcame the injury, and now I was making my return. It could have been so easy just to give up numerous times, but I still have so much to accomplish. I know I'm not done yet.

In terms of accomplishing things, I never thought I would be a person to help someone else. A savior. But destiny had other plans.


	2. Chapter 1

**Lacey's POV**

I stepped through the back entrance into the arena, and it instantly wasn't what I expected. It wasn't like I was expecting everyone to pop out of a hiding place and welcome me back, but I was naturally curious to see what people thought and if they were happy to see me back. The fans would be, I just didn't know about my peers. There was nobody in sight besides the backstage crew.

As I walked, I quickly found the board with the matches scheduled. My name wasn't anywhere on there, and I wasn't in the Divas match which was between Melina and Beth Phoenix. I frowned, securing the strap to my bag on my shoulder, and kept walking, heading towards the Diva's locker room.

It was immediately evident that I had arrived earlier than everyone else when I found the room empty. Can you blame me? I've been out from my ankle injury for quite some time. I sighed to myself, not sure what to do. I didn't really have a reason to unpack or change if my name wasn't even on the card. Maybe I could walk around backstage. I stood up, liking my spontaneous choice better than just sitting around and doing nothing.

I walked with my thumbs hooked around the belt loops of my jeans and offered smiles to the backstage workers that met my eyes. Being apart of the WWE could get lonely, but I didn't mind being alone sometimes.

"Lace?" I jumped as a deep voice called my name. It was one I knew well, and I turned to look behind me. I wasn't at all surprised to see the eyes of John Cena, however, he was shocked to see me.

"Hi, John." I answered cautiously. I didn't realize how much I missed my best friend. Well, former best friend I suppose. We lost touch after I got injured. It hurt knowing he didn't care very much, even if he was busy. One phone call would have been decent for a best friend.

It was almost as if he couldn't speak as he stared. He still had his bag, which told me that he had just arrived as well. Always early, John was. "You're back." I chuckled without humor.

"Yeah, I wanted to get back as soon as possible. I missed it." He nodded slowly and I inspected the ground. This awful, awkward feeling in the air between us was something I hadn't experienced in a long time, especially with John. We were never awkward.

"Well. You look well." He looked down as I looked up. "But you always do." I wasn't sure what to say, so I was thankful when he kept speaking. "Vince wanted to see you. I'd imagine he has things he wants to discuss with you." I nodded and John said nothing as he walked past me. I could only stare before I turned and headed towards Vince's office. Funny how quickly relationships change and people forget. Unfortunately I wasn't the forgetful type.

**—**

"Just the person I wanted to see." Vince told me as I entered his office on his command. I smiled a small smile and took a seat across from him at his desk. "First of all, how are you?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking. My ankle's much better now." He nodded, his expression turning thoughtful.

"I wanted to talk to you about your new direction and storyline. You see, the creative team had this idea of having a guest host every Monday Night RAW, since we're currently without one. I would like to start that by having you be the first of many, tonight."

"Okay." I nodded, knowing I didn't have much of a choice anyways. "What about a storyline?" His thin lips hinted at a smile as he sat back in his chair.

"Ah, yes." He leaned forward again. "How would you feel about…a romantic storyline?" I blinked.

"Um, well, I guess it wouldn't be bad…it's not something I've done before."

"Change is good." Vince nodded to himself. "We were thinking of pairing you with Randy Orton." The name took me by surprise. Randy Orton? Did he even like Divas, or people in general? In all my years in the WWE, I can't ever remember a time where Randy ever came out to the club with us or to workout or have lunch. Solitude was his best friend.

"Oh…Does Randy approve of this idea?" I asked doubtfully.

"I mentioned the idea last week. I'm really behind this idea, however. It would be good for both of you."

"Mr. McMahon, I'm not sure-"

"I'm sure you have your own concerns, but I'd at least like to give the idea a chance. There really isn't a reason why it wouldn't get over." There was no changing Vince's mind once was big on a certain angle. I could only nod and agree like a scolded or misunderstood teenager.

"Yes, sir." He smiled and stood up.

"Be sure to check with the writers to see what you're doing tonight, it's my understanding that you're starting and ending the show with Randy tonight." I couldn't help but feel excited and surprised at the same time; Divas were rarely involved in starting or ending the show. To be doing both was a huge deal.

"Thank you, Mr. McMahon." I told him as I stood up to leave. I was nearly out the door when he spoke again.

"Oh, and Lacey, be sure to talk with Randy tonight about the segments once you find out what exactly you'll be doing." I nodded and shut the door behind my on my way and groaned internally.

I was 99% sure Randy would want nothing to do with me, and I wasn't excited to be speaking to him.


	3. Chapter 2

**Lacey's POV**

I had began my search for Randy after I had a talk with the writers. There was now more superstars and divas as it got closer and closer to the start of the show.

"Hey! Well, look who's back!" Ted DiBiase smirked as I got closer to him and Cody Rhodes. My lips pulled together into a tight, polite smile. I'd never actually spoken to either of them very much, but I knew they were in the Legacy with Randy. Perhaps they could help me find him.

"Hi, boys. Could either of you possibly tell me where Randy is?" Cody expression turned to pity.

"Oh right, you were supposed to start a storyline together…I don't envy you." I frowned.

"Why is that?"

"He was complaining about it all night last week when he found out." Cody said, shaking his head.

"Put him in a sour mood for days, man. Traveling in a car with him was the worst." Ted added. "But last I knew, he was in his locker room. Good luck, sweetheart…you're gonna need it." He gave a pat to my back before he and Cody disappeared down the hall. I sighed and continued searching for Randy's room.

**—-**

"Randy?" I called hesitantly as I knocked on his door. I had found it quickly, to my disdain. All the talk of Randy's hatred for me was beginning to get to my head. How could he even hate me? I might have said two words to him in my entire life. Was it possible for someone to hate something they knew absolutely nothing about?

Just as I was beginning to think he wasn't there, the door opened with force. Randy stood, looking annoyed, in a tight shirt that displayed his prominent muscles and a pair of sweatpants. My throat went dry.

"What do you want?" His deep voice resembled a growl.

"Our segments for tonight-"

"I already know what we're doing tonight. You don't need to coach me." I blinked.

"Vince wanted us to go over-"

"Vince doesn't always know what's best." He cut me off once again and was beginning to shut the door.

"And that's why you're the one that's running this company, right?" I couldn't help but retort. Regret sunk into my stomach like a heavy stone as he opened the door wider and stepped closer. He towered over my small frame like a sturdy tree over a delicate flower, but his eyes, so full of anger, were the worst.

"Listen to me, I want nothing to do with this storyline and I want nothing to do with you. As far as I'm concerned, Vince can shove this whole 'amazing' storyline up his ass." He spat the word "amazing" with heavy sarcasm and I lightly winced. "I will do what I'm told to do and get over this entire angle, but that doesn't make you and I friends. I won't be taking orders from a petty little diva." He backed away from me and finally shut his door, much harder than he opened it. I let out a shaky breath and stared at the concrete door.

Apparently it was more than possible to hate without knowledge.

**—-**

"You're on in five to start, Lacey." A backstage worker told me as I waited to go out. I nodded, smoothing down my tight black dress with a plunging neckline covered in mesh. I didn't particular like wearing anything to the ring but my ring gear, but I had to play the role of a GM tonight. At least I would be changing later.

"Guest GM, huh?" John asked as he came up beside me. He was now dressed in his t-shirt and jean shorts and I nodded slowly. His massive arm touched mine, and even though the action was so minuscule, every bone in my body zeroed in on that touch. "Good luck with kicking off the show, there's always more viewers at the start." And just that his touch was gone as he walked without looking back. I watched him leave and felt the butterflies in my stomach grow stronger as the opening pyro sounded.

One of the guys gave me my cue just as my entrance music, "Fever" by Cascada, blared through the stadium. I took a deep breath, but it did little to calm my nerves. The only thing I could do was place one foot in front of the other.

The cheers were much louder than I ever expected them to be, and a smile automatically lit up my face. They were always so welcoming.

I made it to the ring and entered using the steps, since I was wearing a dress. One of the officials handed me a mic and I took it with a smile as my entrance music stopped. I waited in the center of the ring for the people to stop cheering, and for my hands to stop shaking.

"Welcome to Monday Night RAW, Minneapolis!" Once I started to speak, my nerves were calmed a bit more. This was a good crowd. I smiled and continued. "Tonight…is the start of a new tradition. Starting from this week on, RAW will have a guest GM to host every Monday." I placed a hand on my hip. "I couldn't be happier to host this week, or to finally be back! It's just amazing-" I was cut mid-sentence from the sound of Randy's theme song.

I whipped around to face the stage and mentally realized it was the third time Randy had interrupted me that night. He stalked out with a sour look on his face and a microphone in his hand.

"So, this is the level RAW has sunk to? Having half-witted Divas host the show? Tell me, how much about wrestling do you even know?" I glared fiercely.

"Plenty. I'm not like the Divas backstage. I'm not afraid of you." He began to walk slowly down the aisle, towards me and the ring.

"I am a third generation superstar, or have you forgotten? Wrestling is in my blood." He reached the ring and entered it, not taking his eyes off of me. I stared back evenly and forced myself not to look away. "I could put you out on injury again with a one small punt to your head." His words were menacing and I almost believed him.

"Oh, is that so? Why don't you prove it?" We were a few feet away from each other in the ring, and the crowd was watching speculatively. "Face me tonight." His face twisted in disgust.

"I'm not wasting my time on you!" He disagreed. I smirked.

"Too scared? Too much pride? Are you thinking about what would happen if I actually beat you?" I taunted him. He glowered at me for a moment before he raised the microphone to his lips slowly.

"You've made…the biggest mistake of your life." He turned to head back but stopped once he got to the roped and turned his head to look at me. "I hope you enjoyed your one night return. Because after tonight…you'll be gone. For good." He dropped the mic and slid out of the ring as his entrance music picked up again. I stared after him with a deep crease in my forehead until the show went to commercial.

I couldn't exactly say I was excited for my first match back.


	4. Chapter 3

**Lacey's POV**

"Huh, some storyline you're in now." Beth Phoenix said, coming over to sit on the bench next to me as I began lacing up my boots. I was now dressed in my sparkly pink ring gear and getting ready for my match against Randy. I grunted in agreement to her words. "I'd kill to be in your position." I silently disagreed with her in my head.

"Opening the show…main-eventing…all in one night!" Mickie James exclaimed incredulously as she walked over. "Vince must be very high on this idea."

"Oh, he's absolutely in love with it." I said, rolling my eyes. "Randy, on the other hand…"

"I can't imagine even having a conversation with him," Kelly Kelly said as she joined our group. "I always try to avoid him. He always seems like he's in a terrible mood."

"I don't think I can remember a time seeing Randy happy, or smiling. He's always just causing trouble." Mickie observed.

"Well, let's remember he was on a lot of drugs a few years back." Beth murmured. My eyes stretched wide in shock. I hadn't known that. "He's very uneventful now. Just keeps to himself and hates anyone and everyone." She looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "I heard he purposely got a few of the guys he didn't like fired." The girls all looked at me and I shrugged uncomfortably.

"He's…not excited to be in a storyline with a Diva, I guess." I murmured. "But he's gonna be fine; he's good at what he does." Kelly and Mickie exchanged doubtful looks.

"I'd just be careful, Lacey. The man can't be trusted." I shrugged the warning off again.

"Maybe. I gotta go, my match is next." I walked out of the room without looking back as they murmured goodbyes to me. It felt better to be out in the hallway where I could breathe.

Would Randy really try getting me fired? I'd like to think and believe no one could be that cruel. Hating me without reason was bad enough, but getting me fired was a completely different level of insanity. If I got on his bad side, would he do the unthinkable and crush my child-hood dream? The very same dream I had worked so hard to achieve?

My face was set in a grim expression as I waited for my cue and music to start. I saw Randy before he saw me, as his eyes were on the ground while he walked. He stopped a few feet away from me and proceeded to act like I didn't exist. I snorted and did the same.

My music started and acted like my savior to get me out of the backstage area and close proximity to Randy Orton, but I knew that soon enough, we would be in the same ring. However, I also knew we wouldn't be alone.

Randy's walk was extremely slow and I began to pace the ring impatiently. His tan skin glistened under the flashing lights and made him look very statuesque. He reminded me of a handful of juicy and tempting berries that were actually poisonous. Randy was poison. Suddenly, he stopped at the base of the ring. My frown deepened and I walked forward, placing my hands on the ropes and calling Randy into the ring. He stared up at me with defiant eyes, and I tried my best to pretend I didn't know what was about to happen and waited for a feeling of impact.

The stinging impact came when steel finally connected with my back. I yelped in pain and fell at the feet of Cody and Ted. As planned previously, they would come out and attack me from behind with a steel chair and the get rid of the referee as well before Randy even stepped foot into the ring. Rough hands yanked my head up by the long strands of my dark hair and threw me towards the turnbuckle. I gasped, falling into the corner and braced myself as the weight of Ted's body flew into me, causing me to fall to the mat.

Cody's boot stomped into me several times, and I did my best to play victim for the rest of the match. I was really beginning to feel winded when they threw me out of the ring.

"Oh, now come on, this is just awful! How can they treat this young woman like this? This needs to stop; this is disgusting!" I listened to the voice of commentary, warily knowing what was coming next. They set me up a little ways away from the corner metal turnbuckle before Irish-whipping me into it. I fell to ground after I made contact, and rolled onto my stomach, gripping my head.

"Get her in the ring! Put her in the ring, now!" I heard Randy demand angrily. I was yanked roughly to my feet again and thrown under the ropes into the ring. This is it, I thought to myself, watching out of the corner of my eye for Randy to position himself at the turnbuckle opposite from where I was at while Cody and Ted waited outside of the ring. Once he was there, I slowly and warily rose to my hands and knees; the perfect position for an opponent to be in to receive a deadly punt.

He began running, but stopped right before he got to me. I looked up fearfully at his face as he towered over my body. I waited, and the crowd was at their feet, holding their breath as Randy turned away from me with a glowering look and walked away. I rose up a little higher, watching him leave in disbelief.

As Randy got outside of the ring, Ted and Cody went quickly to his side, asking him what in the hell he was doing. He pushed them both away roughly without a word and headed up the ramp, looking angrier than he did before. Cody and Ted looked at each other as Randy disappeared backstage, with me watching him from inside the ring on the mat. The show ended, and a few medics from backstage helped me out of the ring and up the ramp to keep kayfabe. Not surprisingly at all, Vince was waiting for me with Randy.

"That was spectacular! I knew the both of you would do extremely well with this idea!" Vince exclaimed proudly, clapping the both of us over the shoulder with his hand. I winced lightly, and he threw me an apologetic look. "Oh, there was something else I forgot to mention…I want the two of you traveling together at all times to improve the chemistry. I want the two of you to create something memorable…so enjoy spending the next few months together." Vince grinned at the both of us before sauntering away.

In that moment, I was convinced Vince was the spawn of Satan.

I turned zero at the bone and slowly faced Randy. His face was set into a perfectly stiff expression, but his blue eyes displayed an outraged fire. I waited for him to speak first, fearing I would say the wrong thing and he would give me the punt I hadn't yet received.

"Do you need a ride back to our hotel?" His words seemed forced.

"Uhm…no. I'm probably gonna hang out with everyone else so I'll catch a ride with the girls." He nodded, looking slightly relieved before turning and walking away. I bit my lip and called out his name without really know what I was doing.

"Randy, wait!" He turned, startled, with a crease in his forehead. "Er..uh..why don't you join us?" My invitation was clumsy, but he seemed genuinely surprised nonetheless.

"…No thank you, going out isn't my kind of thing." We maintained eye contact, and I could feel the tension ebbing away. "Thank you, though." I nodded and he turned on his heel. I watched him leave, feeling a bit helpless, and if someone asked me why, I wouldn't really be able to explain.


	5. Chapter 4

**Lacey's POV**

The heavy bass in the nightclub pounded. It was deafening, and combined with the crowded space, numerous people and smell of alcohol, it was almost overwhelming. I sat, looking around the busy scene while seated at a rounded table, along with Barbie, Candice, and Melina. A few of the men had joined us as well, and we were treated luxuriously.

"Another round?" Chris Jericho asked, and everyone nodded besides Candice.

"I'm cutting myself off." She sighed, smiling. "Gotta stay sober. I'm the one driving tonight."

I couldn't remember how many drinks I had previously, but I was finally beginning to relax. We received our second round of drinks and I took mine with a feeling of content.

"Lacey, I have to give this to you as a congratulatory shot." Chris Jericho said, stiffing a laugh while handing me a shot glass filled with liquor. "On that new…uh, amazing storyline." A few of the guys snickered at his heavy sarcasm. I took the glass gingerly before downing it, feeling my face contort at the burn.

"You might want to give her two, poor thing. Someone as sweet and nice as her working with Randy." JBL shook his head. "I don't know what Vince is thinkin'."

"I mentioned it earlier to Lacey, how Randy went completely bitter when he found out he had to be in a storyline with her." Chris passed me another shot, winking at me.

"He's mad. I'm sure half of the guys backstage would love to work with that piece of ass." Mike the Miz said, slightly wriggling his eyebrows at me. The guys howled with laughter and I nearly choked on the liquor.

"Easy there," JBL told me. My face was completely red, even though I knew they were teasing,

"Well, I don't envy her." Mickie said, throwing me a sympathetic glance. "I wouldn't want to worry about my safety or career at every moment. I mean, any little thing could piss him off." There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

"I used to have a lot of faith in Randy…" JBL muttered before he took a swig of his beer. "Now…not so much."

My vision was growing a bit blurry, and my head was beginning to pound. I wasn't sure if it was from the music or the amount of alcohol I had consumed so quickly, or all the talk of Randy. I just wanted to forget him.

I stood up, and my vision grew spotty. Everyone's attention turned to me as I straightened my dress and grabbed my clutch. "I'm just gonna get some air." I told them.

"Want some company?" Mickie offered, but I quickly shook my head.

"I'll be fine." I reassured them over the music. Slowly but surely I made my way outside. It was like reaching a different world as the fresh air filled my lungs and cooled my skin.

Luckily I had exited out of one of the back doors, so the area was virtually empty and calm. I leaned against the wall of the building, narrowing my eyes. I needed more serenity in my life if I was to deal with Randy Orton.

There was no way I could tell how much time had passed. It could have been a few minutes or an hour, but I doubted the latter. I was beginning to grow cold, so I walked back into the club. It seemed less packed than before.

My high heels suddenly seemed too high as I searched for the table we were at previously. It was empty. I stared in confusion and turned my attention to the dance floor, but I couldn't see any of my colleagues. Had I been outside longer than an hour?

Half of me hated the fogginess that filled my head, while the other half couldn't even get a grasp on the situation. The somber side of my head battled the fog, but it was losing grip. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

This had in fact been the table we were all at; there was only one VIP section in the club. The guys wouldn't be out there dancing, well perhaps Chris, but not any of the other ones. They would only be in one place.

The music and atmosphere was beginning to be too much, even heavier and more overwhelming than before. I just wanted to be in bed. I wanted to get out.

"I'm walking. I'll walk." I decided to myself and no one else in particular. The hotel was only half a mile away, a mile at the most. I could make it.

Hopefully.

**—**

My heels were beginning to feel too tall as they clicked on the concrete sidewalk. For some reason, I wasn't angry at them for leaving me; it left me with more time to think. The only thing I felt, besides the foggy feeling in my body, was regret. I regretted wearing the shoes, and wearing such a tight dress. I regretted not bringing a jacket, so I wouldn't have to cross my arms over my chest, and even regretted going to the club in the first place. I should have just taken Randy's offer and gone to the hotel.

The thought of his name made my mouth twist into a frown. "To hell with Randy Orton." I muttered. Even the taste of his name as it rolled off my tongue was bitter, like himself. He was nothing but bitter.

And yet, the more I walked -and stumbled- the more I realized that observation couldn't be true. Nobody is born into this world to hate. At one point in his life, Randy was a young and curious child. He was a misunderstood teenager. He had feelings; he probably went through the stages of love and still felt a strong love for his mother. He probably cried at least one or twice in his life. He probably laughed at things with his friends and the jokes that he found funny. He was human. But even with all of that evidence, I found it so hard to believe he could have ever been anything but angry his entire life.

I remembered the way he looked walking to the ring. All the power he possessed in his lethal hands and adroit body. I couldn't deny the strange beauty Randy had, despite how dangerous he was.

Yes, Randy was beautiful in an odd way. It was a different kind of beauty, different than a stereotypical blonde hair, big blue-eyed beauty. The way in which his body was formed, through years of discipline and work, was a beauty only few of the men backstage had succeeded in. Wrestling was in Randy's blood, you could tell with one look. And his eyes, so acid and hateful…were still so beautiful They were as cold as the heaps of snow on a mountain before it turned into a deadly avalanche.

The hotel was coming into sight and I quickened my pace. I could have sworn the ground was becoming uneven, though deep down, I knew it was completely flat. I especially regretted drinking now.

I wished I could help Randy, but it seemed like he didn't want help. It was evident he had been like this for a few years now…and if he hadn't changed then maybe he couldn't.

As I walked into the automatic sliding doors of the hotel, Randy slipped from my mind and all that entered was the urge to get to my room. Thankfully, I was alone in my own room tonight, and I wasn't too far from the first floor. I pulled my room key from my clutch as I entered the elevator, relieved that it was in there, along with my phone. I stared at the black screen of it blankly until the elevator tolled and opened, informing I had reached my floor. It was dawning on me that I could've called someone, but I was here in the hotel now at least. I was too drunk to be angry.

Room 217 wasn't far from the elevator, and I walked in to find everything as neat as I had left in earlier than afternoon. I slid of my shoes, yawning while doing so, and yanked the zipper on the back of my dress. It only opened halfway, so I struggled out of it, not wanting to deal with the hassle and time consumption of getting the zipper down. I crawled into the bed in nothing but my underwear and switched the light out. I couldn't be sure what the digital clock beside my bed read, but it looked to be around 2:14. I bet I was out before it even turned to 2:15.


	6. Chapter 5

**Lacey's POV**

When I woke up, my head was throbbing and felt like it weighed a thousand pounds to lift. My throat was dry; I had never before experienced a thirst like this. I had to squint my eyes, even though there was only a tiny bit of the sun peeking through underneath the blinds.

I forced myself to glance at the clock. 5:39 AM. I groaned hoarsely and fell back down in the bed, pulling the thick comforter over my head.

I was half asleep when there was a polite knock at my door. Assuming it was a maid, I ignored it; waiting for her to move on. There was another round knocking and I groaned. It was making my head hurt.

My eyes flew open. Maids didn't come to clean rooms at five in the morning. I realized a second too late who was at my door as he knocked again, much harder, and accompanied his knock with an angry voice.

"Lacey, are you there? Answer your door; we have to leave at 6 to make our flight." I couldn't even think straight as I threw the cover away from my head and got to my feet. I stumbled to the door hastily, before realizing I was still in my underwear and stopped, throwing myself down on the floor to dig through my suitcase for clothes.

"I'm up! Sorry, give me a moment please!" I called, wrinkling my forehead I was talking too loud. I quickly found a pair of gray leggings and a racer-back tank top and struggled into both of them before moving towards the mirror on the wall. I did a quick once-over of myself, making sure I didn't look as bad as I felt. My makeup was still in tact and not smeared from the night before, thankfully, but my hair was a bit messy. I heard Randy sigh impatiently outside the door and decided my hair could wait.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I fumbled with the latches and finally pulled the door open. Randy was waiting with the exact expression I imagined him having; one furious and annoyed. "I'm so sorry, Randy, I really am. It's my fault, I got back to my room late last night and I forgot we had to catch a flight at seven, just give me a second to get my stuff." I apologized profusely and turned to rush and throw the few contents I had sitting out inside my bag.

Randy stood in the door frame, watching me wordlessly. "To be honest…I thought we could stop at Starbucks on our way but it looks like we won't have time." His tone was irritated.

"No, I mean, we still can if you want." I told him, picking my bag up and slipping on a pair of flip flops. "I'm ready now." I checked the time on my phone, satisfied that it was now only 5:48. Randy only stared with narrowed blue eyes before he turned and started heading down the hallway towards the elevators. I hurried after him, silently thankful that I basically already had everything packed.

"Like I said, we won't have time. I won't miss our flight because of you." He pushed the down button harshly. I stared up at him indignantly.

"Hey, I was ready in five minutes! I could have not opened my door at all!" I retorted. Randy snorted, not looking down at me.

"Then I would have left without you and you could have missed the flight to New York." The elevator opened, revealing a middle-aged man. Randy shouldered past him silently, and the man glanced at Randy in alarm as he stepped off. I sighed and joined Randy. Being confined with him in an elevator made me realize I would soon be spending hours with him in a tightly compacted car. My head started pounding again. I was dreading it.

**—**

It was silent the entire time in Randy's rental car. We couldn't agree on any music to listen to, but we both established that we didn't want to listen to the pop mainstream music that played on nearly every channel, so the radio was nearly silent. I sat in the passenger's side, looking out at the sun as it rose over the city. My headache had gotten worse, and I closed my eyes against the pain.

"Oh no, you aren't about to fall asleep on me. I'm not waking you up." Randy said. I frowned, and if my eyes were opened I would have rolled them.

"I'm not trying to sleep," I snapped. "I have a headache. And you don't have to tell me that I shouldn't have drank so much or gone out; I'm paying for it now. So just..don't talk."

"Not like I want to talk to you anyways " He grumbled. I opened my eyes with a glare. I wasn't in the mood to be polite anymore.

"You're so childish! I've never done anything to give you a reason to hate me, and yet you're so stubborn and…well, hateful!" His eyes bore straight ahead on the road. "It wasn't my choice to be put into a storyline with you, believe me, I'd rather we keep going on with our separate lives and not come into contact with each other at all. But we have a job to do." I turned to glower out my window again, feeling my mood sink like a lost ship. "Don't you think I would rather be going after the Women's Championship than be in an angle with you?" He didn't answer for a long time, and I was beginning to forget he was there until he spoke again.

"Everything I had going for me…was put on hold, because of this storyline. This is a complete step back for me." His voice was cold and calm at the same time, like an icy but steady stream. He looked at me as we stopped at a stoplight, still glaring, but for once I felt like it wasn't directed towards me. "I don't like it." I stared back evenly.

"I don't like it either. But neither of us have much of a choice, and if we're going to make this work we can't take it out on each other." He turned back to the road, not agreeing to my words, but also not disagreeing. We were on the same page now, aware that we shared a mutual disliking for the angle, as if that weren't already evident.

We were approaching the airport, and I felt more peaceful. Even my headache was subsiding. Now that Randy and I were on common ground, maybe things wouldn't be so difficult.

**—-**

"There you are!" I heard a voice exclaim as Randy and I boarded the plane. Mickie looked at me in relief from her seat. Her eyes switched to Randy for a split second before she gave her attention back to me, as if Randy didn't exist. "I didn't know where you were last night! You should have told someone you left!"

"I was just outside, I went back in looking for you guys, but you were gone." I said blankly. She frowned in confusion.

"Candice said she saw you leaving in a taxi, so we just went back to the hotel." It was my turn to be confused as I stared at her, puzzled. "Didn't you get a taxi?" She asked, and I shook my head slowly. Mickie's face dropped, and she turned to look at Candice, who was sitting behind her and listening. She looked apologetic.

"Oh, gosh. I'm sorry, Lacey, I swore I saw you getting into a cab! It must have been a girl that looked exactly like you from behind. That would explain why she didn't turn around when I called her name." I shrugged it off.

"How did you get back to the hotel, then?" Mickie asked in concern. I could feel Randy's eyes on me as well.

"Oh, I walked."

"You walked? Alone? Something could have happened to you!" Mickie exclaimed in disbelief. I shrugged again and started moving towards a row of empty seats, Randy following behind me.

"I'm fine. It's alright, I made it back fine." I told them over my shoulder. I took my seat and Randy sat down quietly beside me. The seat was uncomfortable but I settled into it anyways, anxious for an hour of sleep.

"Why didn't you call anyone?" Randy asked me after a moment while we were waiting to take off. I could feel him looking at me, and it was the first time I felt like I had his full attention.

"That's a very good question." I sighed. "I was drunk, so the thought didn't occur to me. I didn't mind walking anyways."

"Well, be that as it may, Mickie's right. A man could have easily taken advantage of you, you should have called someone."

"It was two in the morning, it's not like anyone would have answered anyways. Obviously, everyone only looks out for themselves." I stated darkly. It was the cold, hard truth; nobody in the business gave a damn if something happened to you. It made their job easier.

"Well, no woman should have to walk back to the hotel at night all alone," He murmured, outstretching his hand to me. I stared at his palm in confusion. "Your phone?" He asked.

"Oh. Right." I mumbled, my cheeks flushing with heat, before I handed it to him. He tapped the screen a few times before giving it back to me. There was a new contact labeled "Randy".

"Just in case you ever need a ride." He told me. I smirked to myself.

"You say that as if you're expecting me to be drunk again." He shrugged to himself, pulling out his own phone.

"I couldn't say I'd be surprised," He muttered. The flight attendant was beginning to go over standard procedures. I stared at his phone hesitantly.

"Do you want my number?" I asked, and felt the warmth of embarrassment wash over me as he looked at me with an eyebrow slightly raised. "I mean, just in case you ever need anything or something?"

"I don't think I'll need it." He said, putting his phone away as the flight attendant mentioned electronics. She wished us a safe flight to New York, and I gripped the armrests as the plane proceeded to take off. A sigh of relief left my lips as we were safely in the air.

"Don't like planes?" Randy asked me. I shrugged.

"I feel like if there's a chance of me dying on a plane, it would happen either taking off or landing. But you get used to it." I said. "So, what are we doing today?"

"We've got a house show tonight, and a fan meet and greet before that." He glanced at me sideways. "Well, you have a fan meet and greet. I don't."

"I don't understand why not." I muttered. He chuckled without humor.

"In case you haven't noticed, Lacey, I'm not the most popular. But that's okay, I'd rather not waste my time on them." It was like going back and forth with Randy, you just couldn't win. He was almost civilized for a moment before he went back to being negative.

"Well, I'm taking a nap." I said, settling into the seat once more. I saw him smirk slightly before I shut my eyes.

"Don't forget to wake up."


	7. Chapter 6

**Lacey's POV**

"How was the fan meet and greet?" I jumped at the sound of a deep voice as I was unlocking my hotel door. Randy was leaning on the door frame of his hotel room, which was across from mine.

"Oh. It was good, the fans are always lovely." He grunted something that couldn't be distinguished as a sound of agreement or disagreement.

"I was just on my way to get something to eat before the show…" He told me, letting the door shut behind him. An obvious look of hesitation washed over his face as he looked up at me and said, "do you want to come?"

I wasn't expecting his invitation. Randy expression turned more regretful by the second so I quickly nodded my head, before he could change his mind. He nodded back slightly before turning to walk to the elevators of the hotel.

**—-**

"Can I get you two anything else?" The waitress at the small cafe asked the both of us, but she had kept her eyes on Randy the entire time. He, of course, had ignored her the entire time and only spoke to her to order his food and drunk.

"We're good, thanks." I said curtly. She glanced at me before looking back at Randy with visible frustration, and turned to finally walk away. It just confirmed my thoughts I had of Randy the night before; Randy was in fact handsome. He could fit in with the likes of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses. It surprised me that he was single, but who would love such a reclusive angry person?

"At least you have a healthy appetite." He observed from across the table. The both of us had ordered club sandwiches. "I hate women that eat like birds"

"We'll sometimes we don't want to appear like pigs." I said lightly. "But I'm not trying to impress you. And I'm starving so I don't give a damn; I haven't ate all day"

"I have to say…" He murmured after we had been eating for awhile. "As much as I don't like this storyline…I'm glad you're the Diva I have to work with." My eyes shot to his in shock at his comment, but he continued talking. "You're not high maintenance, and you're down to earth." It was like each word had to be pulled out of his mouth, like he hated admitting it.

"Yes, I'm only an alcoholic." Sarcasm oozed from my voice. I wasn't expecting the small laugh he gave me.

"I can deal with that." His lips stifled a smile before faltering and turning into the same hard expression he always had. "Don't let this get to your head and think that I like you or that we're friends…because we're not." I laughed and smirked at him.

"Oh, of course not. Never."

**—-**

"You wrestled well." The entire trip back to the hotel after the house show was silent up until Randy and I were in the elevator, and this was the first time he had spoken to me. I smiled a half-smile, but didn't look at him.

"Thanks. I like wrestling Beth; she knows her stuff. But hey, you did pretty good too." He shrugged.

"Just because I compliment you doesn't mean you have to return the favor, just to make me feel better." I turned to look at him in confusion and saw him glaring up at the ceiling of the elevator. "I don't give compliments to boost self-esteems or get on people's good side. I mean it. Besides," The elevator opened, but I wasn't paying much attention to it. "I don't need compliments. I know I'm good."

"Well, I was just trying to be nice." I muttered, quickly following him off and onto the floor, towing my bag along. I hadn't intended for him to hear, but he glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't." I snorted.

"Would you prefer me to be a bitch, then?" We had reached our rooms and he almost looked surprised at my words. "Because I can. It won't be fun though, I can promise you that."

"I've dealt with enough of them to last me for a lifetime, so no." He said, pulling his key out of his pocket.

"Well then," I said, reaching into my pocket for my room key too, "I…won't be.." My words trailed off as I checked all four pockets on my jeans. I found my phone but my room key was astray.

"Having trouble?" Randy asked dryly. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was halfway inside of his room and looking at me with an expression that was not amused.

"I can't…find my room key…" I murmured, dropping my bag onto the floor to dig through it. I emptied nearly half the contents of all my clothes and checked the pockets of the pants I was wearing earlier Randy's eyes bore into my back. I groaned and began putting the clothes back into my bag messily, starting to zip it up. "I guess…I'll just go down to the front desk and ask for another-" Randy's hand was outstretched towards me, dangling one of my lacy bras from two fingers.

"I think you forgot this," I snatched it from him and stuffed it in my bag, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. "And I don't think that will work; the front desk closes at midnight. As of right now, it's 11:58." Randy told me, checking his phone. I gaped at him, before standing up.

"Well…maybe…maybe one of the Divas will let me…" I stopped as Randy sighed deeply and pinched the bridge.

"No. We're in this storyline together, we already travel together…you can just stay with me one night." I was shaking my head vigorously before he even finished speaking.

"Oh, no! I could never ask you to do that! No." He rolled his eyes and reached down to pick up my bag.

"You've already got everything right here. Come on; you're not going to waste more of my time by arguing." Without waiting to see if I followed, he turned to go into his room. I sighed in exasperation and followed him inside. After all, I didn't really have much of a choice.

**—**

"For the last time, I'll sleep on the floor." Randy snapped. I crossed my arms, standing in front of him in a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt.

"No, I will! You already let me stay here with you; I'm definitely not gonna make you sleep on the floor."

"What kind of man would I be if I made you sleep on the floor?" I sighed, moving to sit on the bed begrudgingly.

"At least sleep on the chair or something…" I told him. "The floor is the most uncomfortable out of all of them." He grunted in agreement and sank down into the wide chair across from the bed.

"I wonder," I said, breaking the silence, "where this storyline is going to go next." Randy had his eyes shut, but he still spoke. He had on an old t-shirt as well that fit his frame almost perfectly, and plain black sweats that were hidden by the thick blanket.

"I'm not sure. But I won't mind giving the creative team a piece of my mind if I don't like it." He growled. I stared up at the speckled ceiling.

"You know…eventually it's going to end up romantic. That's what Vince wants; it's always what he does with these storylines." Randy didn't speak for a long time.

"I still don't know why he didn't just pair you with John." He finally said. "You two fit together much better than you and I, in my opinion."

"Everything happens for a reason." I murmured slowly. "Besides, John is too popular. He doesn't need me."

"He used to talk about you all the time, you know." I sat up and looked at Randy to find him already staring. His eyes were thoughtful. "All the time. You were all he talked about. How you were going to be the biggest Diva the WWE's ever seen." He shrugged. "This was before your injury, of course. A couple of years ago actually."

"Yeah…" I sighed. "John and I used to be close. I'm surprised he would tell you that." There was a dark smirk on Randy's face.

"He and I used to be close too. People change. You let them in, give them the power to destroy you, and that's exactly what they do." He shut his eyes again. "I'd rather be alone. But you're not the type of person who should be alone, Lacey. I'll never understand why you and John aren't together as a couple in real life." I shook my head slowly.

"You know…I used to think the same thing. But John…John's too perfect. Everything about him, everything. I just can't live up to that kind of perfection everyday. No matter how alike people think John and I are, it's so far from the truth. John is optimistic, and honestly, I'm quite the pessimist. I'm just a really quiet person, and I'm so far from that perfection that John possesses."

"I understand what you're saying, but I can't say I agree." Randy murmured. "There's nothing wrong with you." I laughed sarcastically.

"Oh, but there's something wrong with you?"

"You don't know me."

"That may be true, but Randy, you've already accomplished so much and you're so young. You have everything going for you."

"And you don't?" He shot back. "You're younger than me. You've been a champion almost more times than Trish Stratus." I stared at him, feeling a small smile play at my lips.

"Maybe we're more alike than we thought." He stared back evenly. waiting for me to go on. "I mean, think about it Randy. Think about all that we could do. We could be bigger than Edge and Lita, or Triple H and Stephanie, or even Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth!" He chuckled.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." I smiled lightly.

"Yeah…maybe. But maybe not. Anyways, it's getting late, and I can't miss my flight home tomorrow morning. Do you have a few more shows to do?" I asked. He nodded.

"One more tomorrow and another Saturday." I nodded slowly.

"Well…I'll see you next RAW then. Goodnight." I told him, crawling under the covers and shutting out the light. I shut my eyes, enveloping them in darkness once more.

"Lacey?" I almost thought I was dreaming when I heard Randy call my name softly. My heart pounded as I answered.

"Yeah?" I waited and the seconds seemed to crawl.

"Remember what I said earlier? About me not wanting you to be nice? Truthfully, I really appreciate your kindness. I know I'm not easy to be around, I know that. I know what everybody in the locker room and in this business thinks of me. It's considerate, to say the least, of you to put up with me. And honestly, I don't think you could be a bitch if you wanted to. You've got a good heart and head on your shoulders." This entire night felt like I dream, but if it was, it was actually sort of pleasant. This was the longest conversation Randy and I had ever had, and the more he talked, the more he became human to me.

"I believe you do too, Randy." I whispered back. He didn't reply, and for a moment I thought he had fallen asleep.

"I'm far from perfect." He quoted me from earlier, almost inaudible.

"The best people in this world are full of imperfections." I whispered. He laughed lowly.

"Whatever. Just don't change, Lacey. I'm actually beginning to tolerate being around you." I smiled to myself, shutting my eyes.

"I suppose that still doesn't make us friends though, huh?"

"No, not even close. Go to sleep, I'm still not going to be responsible for waking you up." I obeyed his words silently, and drifted off to sleep quickly.


	8. Chapter 7

**Lacey's POV**

"Randy, what was that last week?" Cody said as he and Ted approached Randy in the hallway backstage. They were shooting a promo for RAW tonight. I stood behind the cameraman, watching. The days up until tonight had been quite uneventful, but once again, it was show time. Randy looked up at the both of them with a stern look as they approached him and slightly towered over the both of them.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Randy growled, turning away from the both of them to walk in the opposite direction. Cody and Ted looked at each other.

"Uh, how you just let her go. You let Lacey Reyes go without a scratch after she trash-talked you." Ted said. Randy stopped and turned to look at them both.

"What I do isn't your concern. I'm sure that she learned her lesson; I'm done with her."

"It made you look weak." Ted protested. Randy walked forward to him, pressing up against his chest and pushing his face down close to his.

"I would love to hear anyone call me weak to my face." That was my cue.

"It seemed as if he just did." I said, walking up to them. Randy looked between Ted and I, before he gave a slight push to Ted's chest.

"Get out of here," He told them both before facing me again. "And what could you possibly want? I suggest you turn around and walk away right now, before I end up regretting not punting you in the skull last week." I rolled my eyes.

"Listen, I didn't come to chat about the weather. I just want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you do it? Why do you show me mercy? I just don't understand it, I could have been your easiest victim but you walked away." We stared at each other warily.

"I don't owe you an explanation. If I were you, I would just consider myself lucky and let it go." I narrowed my eyes, but another voice came along.

"Hey now, let's take a step back." The original Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase, who was this week's guest host, placed a restraining hand on both of our shoulders. "Now, we saw the two of you fight last week. Well…somewhat fight. But the two of you will have to put your tempers behind you because tonight, I'm putting the both of you in the main event.

"What do you mean?" Randy asked. Ted smiled.

"Well, a certain Diva requested to fight Lacey in a match…"At that moment Beth Phoenix, who was the current Women's champion, walked up to us with her head raised defiantly and title on her shoulder. I glared at her. "And, assuming you're on the path to maybe winning that WWE title back, Randy, I've placed you in that match as well, against the WWE Champion, John Cena."

"So you're telling me that this is going to be a Tag Team match? And Randy is my partner?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh, not just any match. If you and Randy win, you automatically become the new Women's Champion and WWE Champion." He gave his signature laugh before he strutted away. Randy looked as if he were about to explode before he too stalked away. I was left alone with Beth and she smirked at me.

"Don't even think for a second that I'm worried about losing this to you tonight. After last week, it's obvious you and Randy can't work together cohesively, and if you and I are the deciding factor…well, it's obvious who would win. So good luck, you're gonna need it." I snorted.

"We'll see." I said, before turning on my heel and walking out of the camera frame. The camera man yelled cut, and I looked around to see if Randy had waited. He was long gone.

**—-**

"Ready, Lacey?" The cameraman asked me. I nodded; this was my second backstage promo tonight before the match. This one didn't involve Randy, but the idea for the promo was that I was trying to find him. I wondered if I would actually see him at all before the main event.

"Alright, and go!" The camera man cued, and I started walking down the hallway with a purpose.

"Randy?" I called. I let out a sigh and kept walking, my eyes scanning around the halls. "Where is he?" I said to myself in exasperation. "Randy?" I reached out to knock on the door labeled "Men's Locker Room" but it opened before my hand could touch. John Cena came out, looking at me somberly. We stared at each other for a moment before he extended his hand.

"Good luck, tonight." He said sincerely. I took it hesitantly and we shook, all the while we fully knew the camera's were still rolling. It was an essential skill to have in the WWE; the ability to shoot a promo and act like the camera's weren't there, like a true actor or actress.

"Thanks." I murmured. He gave me a nod before he walked off. I watched him leave before I sighed. The catering table had been set up by the men's locker room, and I grabbed a paper cup filled with water. At that moment, Cody and Ted came up behind me and "accidentally" shoved me before they continued walking, causing me to "accidentally" fling my cup of water to the side with a gasp. I glared after them before I turned, and realized with fake shock that my water had gotten all over Kane. He glared down at me, breathing heavily, and I backed away slowly.

"Oh, oh my gosh. I'm so sorry…" I murmured, wide eyed, and turned to run away. Kane still stood there, glaring after me with water dripping down his face and chest.

"And cut!" I heard the cameraman yell. I checked the list of matches on the board backstage and noticed our match was coming up, after the next two, and decided to start warming up.

**—**

I stood waiting just outside the entrance area. John stood talking with Beth as we all prepared to make our entrances for the main event. It was an odd match, considering that John was a face and Beth was a heel, while I was a face and Randy was a heel. I guess that was all apart of Mr. McMahon's big plans for the storyline.

Randy still wasn't around, and I was beginning to get worried. Of course, we both knew what we were supposed to do, but it felt unsettling not to see him. But then from the distance, I could see him coming.

The way in which he moved from his locker room to where I stood might have looked sullen to others; he might've have seemed ready to go on a rampage of epic proportions. It was not that he looked wild and vicious, not in the slightest; rather, he had the eyes of a silent killer. The quiet intensity that did not need spoken words to display the amount of danger he possessed. He put off an aura of cold-heartedness; a malicious energy that seemed to radiate from his clenched fists and glaring eyes.

His movements were very slow and controlled, much like a walking statue. My eyes moved from his worn leather boots to his supple quadriceps that flexed with each step, and all the way up to his steel eyes that flickered in every direction without warning, reminding me of a snake's tongue.

I looked back down quickly, before he could catch my wandering eyed. Not that he would ever notice me, such a disconcerting minor detail compared to him and his racing thoughts. Through his eyes alone I knew he was thinking of a million things at once. He came to a stop beside me without saying a word, but his thought process never ceased. I could tell, and I dared not to interrupt.

Something happened that never has before, and I began to analyze my own thoughts and actions. I came to the conclusion that Randy intimidated me like no one before. It wasn't a surprise; he towered over me completely and could most likely lift me with one hand. But everything about him made me wary. I wasn't afraid he hated me, although at times it seemed that was more than evident. I was more afraid that I wasn't good enough to be in his presence. I was about as relevant as one of the stagehands or cameramen compared to him.

When I used to wait with John backstage before a match, he would smile and compliment me excessively, and I felt as if I could conquer the world. Maybe his words got to my head and they weren't true at all, because standing next to Randy was like being one of the little birds who were brave enough to perch on the great crocodile's snout. I didn't belong with a predator such as himself; I didn't have that cold fire he possessed.

Randy glanced sideways at me as his music began to play, and I felt my heartbeat pound just a little harder. His eyes were so inhuman that I couldn't speak if I wanted to.

"I'll see you out there." His voice was deep and course, like he hadn't spoken for more than five hours. In my mind, I knew that could have been true. I found my senses and nodded my head, like I was starstruck fan and he was my idol, rather than my equal and tag-team partner for the night. His eyes held mine a moment longer before he began to move in that beautifully dangerous stride only he could do. I watched him leave and looked down to the ground to control my breathing. This had to stop, if our storyline was going to progress anymore than this I had to get over this strange fear and fascination of Randy Orton.

His music stopped, and my song took the place of his song's echo. I was surprised to hear the fans scream as loud as they did, though I'm sure they could never reach the deafening sound that John Cena would soon get. I couldn't compare.

My hands began to shake and I wondered now why I felt nervous. This was a regular Monday not Wrestlemania. This was RAW, not a pay-per-view. Maybe it was because I knew in my mind that out there, in that very ring, Randy was waiting and I finally had all his attention. He would see all my flaws and the way I shined so dully. But I couldn't delay it or stop time, I had a job to do and I couldn't run away.

The music grew louder as I walked out and he was instantly the first thing I saw, standing at the very back of the ring and leaning against the ropes. I nearly forgot my regular routine I did for my entrance, but it all came back. I had been doing this for to long.

In the flashing pink lights, I morphed into a character. There was a smile plastered onto my face, and my black feather-framed brown eyes were stretched in excitement. I turned the ramp into a catwalk with an acquired strut of top model. I had the gait of a siren with ring gear and a face to match, and in my mind I almost felt good enough. Around me the fans confirmed my self assumptions as they screamed and reached for me. I wasn't shining dully, I was shining brighter than the very sun. I wasn't irrelevant, I was everything.

In that arena I had everyone's attention, but none of their opinions meant anything to me at that moment, besides Randy's. As I flipped over the ropes and entered the ring, I quickly looked over at his face to see what he was thinking. The night was suddenly mine as I watched the frown and glare on his face turn into a slight smirk.

My adrenaline was still high as my music stopped and Beth's music played. I walked to stand at Randy's side. We appeared together on the big screen of the arena, and I was startled to see how united we looked. How powerful and lethal we appeared, despite this only being the second week of our storyline.

He turned to look down at me, and I forced myself to look away from the screen and up at his face. The fans were booing Beth, but I found it easy to ignore them and focus on Randy's eyes that seemed to resemble his smirk. He turned slowly and walked to the corner turnbuckle, and I could feel my fear of him ebbing away, but my fascination climbing higher than the moon.


	9. Chapter 8

**Lacey's POV**

_Just stand up, just stand up._ I was thinking to myself over and over. Since we were the main event, we had a luxurious extension of time I wasn't used to. Randy and I had utilized every second of that time to give a match worthy of one of the top pay-per-views. We had in-ring chemistry I had never experienced with anyone else; no diva or superstar, not even John. We knew nearly nothing about each other and what the other was like in the ring, besides what we had seen on TV screens, but our styles molded perfectly with each other and our minds were in sync without even trying. It was nearing the end, and John stood desperately on the apron, reaching out to Beth as she rose groggily to her feet. But she wouldn't get the tag; I had her right where I wanted her. And that's when the arena exploded with a ferocious boom.

The lights turned to a dreary red, and familiar music began to play. The heads in the crowd had now turned to look upstage, and I followed their gawking looks to Kane taking long and quick strides down the ramp to reach the ring. I watched, putting on a terrified expression.

Suddenly, Beth had risen go her feet and nailed me from behind. I fell to the mat, putting on an expression of pain. She quickly slid out of the ring and ran past Kane, who ignored her and only had eyes on me.

This was the idea of the creative team; for me to spill water on Kane and him come to interrupt the match for revenge. John had quickly climbed into the ring, checking on me as Kane climbed up onto the apron and stepped over the top rope. At the same time, Randy had jumped off the apron and stood just outside of the ring, staring up into it.

As soon as Kane was in the ring, John flew at him with a shoulder block, but Kane didn't budge. John started throwing punches, and Kane merely pushed him off and onto the mat. I was now a trembling mess on the mat in the corner turnbuckle, trying to catch my breath and looking up at Kane, frozen.

John leaped to his feet again and flew at Kane, but Kane was ready, and lifted John into the air with one hand before choke-slamming him into the mat. Kane stepped over John's body and walked slowly to me. As he got closer, my pleading turned into desperate screams. Just as Kane reached down for my neck, someone pulled my leg and yanked me out of the ring underneath the bottom rope.

Randy held me steady as I joined him outside of the ring. Kane reached down angrily over the top rope to me, and Randy pushed me behind him. My hands gripped his shoulders as I stared around his body to look at Kane, who was now exiting the ring angrily. Randy immediately launched himself at him, and the fans started to cheer when Randy overpowered Kane. He rammed his skull into the corner turnbuckle before yanking me by the arm and pulling me up towards the stage. We continued to glance over our shoulders as we walked up the ramp, and Randy's music began to play. As we stood side by side on the stage, we exchanged looks as Kane pulled himself to his feet and glared towards us. The show ended with us still standing together.

As we walked backstage, Vince was waiting again with a satisfied smirk.

"Great, great job!" He let out a growl of enthusiasm. "Now, this is exactly what I wanted!" I smiled politely, as did Randy. "Keep up the fantastic work." He walked away. Randy glanced down at me, stifling a smile.

"I hate that bastard." I couldn't help but laugh and nod.

**—-**

Over the next several weeks, Randy and I grew closer and closer. Traveling with someone every day and night could work wonders on relationships and bring two people closer like nothing else. We shared a common bond; devoting our lives to wrestling. No one else in the world could ever understand our hectic traveling schedules, or the pain we suffered nearly every night in the ring. Granted, Randy still had his sour days, but overall, we made great company for each other. It had gotten to the point where we just shared a hotel room with two beds. It was simple and not something difficult, however, I had refused to let him see me without makeup. He never once questioned it when I went to sleep with makeup on, thankfully. He still had his walls up, as I did with mine.

I couldn't count how many late nights we had spent together traveling to the next city. I had learned so much about Randy. He spent one entire night telling me about his old marine days, and I listened to the entire story, which had surprised him immensely.

***Flashback***

_"You're the only person who has ever listened to the entire story. And you haven't made one judgement." He said. I just shrugged._

_"It isn't my place to judge you. You could judge me for a lot of things too." I told him._

_"Oh yeah?" He said, glancing over at me as he drove in the darkness. "What kind of trouble could the perfect All-American Diva ever have experienced?" I had just smirked, staring straight ahead, not sure if I truly wanted to tell him the truth. But oddly enough, I felt okay around Randy. I felt I could tell him anything, and his opinion of me would never change._

_"Oh, you know…I was just a troubled teen. I was really insecure. I mean…I'm short. I wasn't exactly the skinniest girl, and if I had never gotten braces I would have had the worst teeth." I felt so vulnerable telling him these things, even in the darkness. I was practically pointing out my every flaw that I had never truly been comfortable with. "But it was my motivation I guess. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, you know? I wanted them to see me and think 'Wow. I would have never expected her to be so successful'. I wanted to be great."_

_"In my opinion, you've done more than proved them wrong." Randy told me. I smiled at him lightly in the empty light._

***End Of Flashback***

I had really appreciated hearing him say that. In the mean time, our storyline on TV in the WWE was somewhat a few weeks behind our real life relationship We were only sort of friends on TV. Until the day Vince wanted to take it a step further.

**—-**

"Hey, Randy-" I stopped talking as I walked into his locker room to see him pacing angrily. He whipped around to face me as I entered, and I watched him nervously.

"I won't do it." He spat. I blinked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to make him anymore angrier than he already was. He laughed sarcastically.

"Don't play dumb with me." I stared him, wide eyed and my heart pounding.

"Randy, I honestly don't know-"

"I'm not going to do it. I won't. I'm going straight to Vince." He said, shoving past me. He answered my confusion before I could even ask. "I am not kissing you tonight!" I followed after him in numb shock, struggling to keep up. This was the night I had been waiting for; this was the night the creative team had finally pushed Randy too far. He barged straight into Vince's office without even knocking.

"You have got some nerve if you think I'm gonna do this shit tonight." I was speechless at the way Randy could just talk to our boss and say things that I had always imagined myself saying, but never having the courage to do so. I felt like a small child in the middle of two parents arguing over grown-up things as I stood behind Randy.

Vince raised an eyebrow. "Why, I don't see the problem. Your storyline has been going on for several weeks now; it's time for it to advance-"

"I will not kiss her." He said icily. Vince looked calmly over Randy's shoulder at me.

"Well, Lacey, do you have any objections?" Vince asked. I hesitated, and Randy quickly turned his wild eyes to me accusingly.

"No-I-I mean…I don't..I.." I stuttered, looking at Randy nervously. "I want Randy to be comfortable with this. And if he's not then, maybe we shouldn't go through with it." At this point Vince looked furious.

"We go live in ten minutes!" He growled. "This is my show; not yours. Now, you're just going to have to get through this, otherwise you might find yourself without a job, dammit!" Randy just gaped at him before he turned with a wordless growl of frustration and threw open the door with extreme force. I flinched as it banged against the wall. Vince turned his wrath to me.

"You better calm him down and talk some sense into him!" He threatened, and I nodded, wishing I had Randy's boldness to talk back to him. "You're the only person in this business who seems to be able to talk to him and have him actually listen." I gazed at Vince helplessly.

"Mr. McMahon, I'm not sure if Randy will listen to anything I say tonight…."


	10. Chapter 9

**Lacey's POV**

I looked around backstage anxiously, only searching for Randy. His locker room was empty, and no one else had seen him. I couldn't think of any other place he could be, and my match was in thirty minutes. It was a No. 1 Contender's match against Melina, and she would cheat to win and beat me. I would then have to cut a backstage promo with Randy, and that's when we would kiss. But that couldn't happen if he wasn't around.

I was leaning against the wall in exasperation, looking up at the ceiling, when Chris Jericho walked by. His face turned sympathetic and he stopped in front of me.

"You alright, Lace?" He asked me. I sighed, giving him a slight half-smile.

"Yeah…I'm fine, thanks. Have you happened to see Randy around anywhere?" His eyes lit with remembrance after he thought for a moment.

"Now that you say that, I passed him on my way in here. He was standing in the parking lot by the buses so the fans wouldn't see him, and he didn't look like a happy camper." I wasn't sure what Randy was doing, but I had to make a decision to go talk to him or leave him be. I decided that Randy had been left alone too many times in his life.

"Thanks Chris." I thanked him. He nodded, looking thoughtfully hesitant before he spoke.

"You know, Lacey, I have to say, Randy is definitely changing. I don't know what kind of witchcraft you pulled on him, but I've never seen him so…well, normal lately. He almost looks happy." I smiled a sad smile.

"Sometimes all we need is a friend." Chris nodded slowly, leaning against the wall.

"I guess it takes a special person to get to Randy Orton. Although he did look quite upset tonight; what's that about?" I looked at the ground awkwardly just wanting to go and find Randy before he left to go somewhere else.

"Well….we were supposed to kiss tonight…and he wasn't too happy when he found out."

"Wow, you've got it tough girly. Sometimes I wonder if Vince is just trying to push Randy further and further until he commits a murder."

"Yeah well, if anything he'll murder me tonight." I muttered grimly. Chris patted my shoulder.

"Doubt it. It seems like you're growing on Randy, no matter how much he denies it or hates it." I shrugged.

"Maybe. I'm gonna go find him now." I said. Chris nodded, and I felt his eyes on my back as I searched for the back entrance.

**—-**

Right away, I saw the mass of WWE buses. I walked closer, and even from far away I could see Randy's figure leaning against one of them.

"Randy?" I called. He turned slowly, unleashing his vivid eyes on mine. I suddenly turned shy and couldn't think of anything to say, but even though my mind and mouth stopped working, my feet didn't and I was soon standing directly next to him.

"I know you don't…like…what we're doing tonight," I said as we stood in an awkward silence. "But…I mean, we don't have much of a choice." He didn't speak. Instead, he merely pulled out a new pack of cigarettes and a lighter. I watched him before I looked straight ahead as the smell of smoke hit my nose. "I thought you were trying to stop?" I asked softly.

"I was. But then I got stressed. It's the only thing that helps." His words were short and clipped.

"Randy, that does the opposite of helping. You're a wrestler; you shouldn't be smoking." My voice was quiet; I was trying my best not to upset him further. "I mean…think about the person you were in 2007. All of the drugs…you don't want to go back to that-"

"I'm just having one damn cigarette." He snapped, cutting me off. "If I had never told you any of that, you wouldn't be throwing it up to my face like you think you know me. You don't." I winced at his outburst and looked at the ground, inspecting the difference of the size of our wrestling boots.

"We all have things we choose to hide from people," I murmured. "I haven't told you everything about me. I'm not judging you Randy, and I never will. But I don't understand why you're so upset about tonight. Just get it over with, we both knew it would happen eventually."

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea." He growled. I finally turned to look at him, my mouth dropping. Was he suggesting that I had feelings for him? Or that I actually thought he had feelings for me?

"Oh, trust me, I won't." I retorted, beginning to back away from him. "You've got some nerve to say that. At least I'm the only person in this business who doesn't speak ill of you behind your back." He rolled his eyes.

"Wouldn't make much of a difference if you did; I'm not in this business to make friends." I didn't reply; there wasn't really anything I could say. At that moment, Randy seemed like a lost case and I was left wondering once again what could have made him so bitter.

**—-**

**John Cena's POV**

"They're supposed to do what?" I asked in shock from where I sat on the bench in the men's locker room. Chris nodded as he laced his boots.

"Kiss. Vince has got his head in the clouds with this storyline, I swear." I looked at the ground, speechless. I was speechless. "In my opinion," Chris mused, eyeing me. "Vince should have put you in this storyline with Lacey. I mean, the two of you used to be like this," He crossed his index and middle finger together. I chuckled humorlessly, scratching my neck.

"We're not that close anymore. We just drifted apart." Chris shrugged.

"Well, Randy doesn't exactly like anyone here. You would be a more rational choice than him."

"Maybe."

"Who knows, maybe she can change him. He does seem different. Lacey's a beautiful, talented woman; I wouldn't be surprised if he fell for her in the long-run." He said before leaving the locker room and leaving me to gather my thoughts.

It was odd, how easily I had forgotten about her while she was out with her injury. And then she came back like the shooting star of the Diva's Division, looking better than ever, and I couldn't help but remember all the times we shared before she got injured. The hours we spent on roads and planes, the late night stops at restaurants and diners that were open 24/7, and the hours we trained relentlessly in gyms. How, no matter how difficult things got, we always could depend on each other for an easy smile or laugh. And now, the more I thought of those times, I missed it. I missed her.

I struggled with the emotions in my head and heart. I had always known from the start that Lacey was special. I could almost be certain that Randy would never fall for her, because he loathed the very thought of love. Maybe it wasn't too late for me.

**—**

**Lacey's POV**

No matter how difficult she could be to deal with at times, there was no denying that Melina was a great opponent for me. Our match was going great; it had perfect back-and-forth action and chemistry. And now the time had come for it to end controversially.

I was just about to hit my finisher, when Melina dodged out of the way and got a quick roll-up pin. As I struggled, she planted her feet on the bottom rope, and the referee unknowingly counted to three.

"Here is your winner and new No. 1 Contender for the Women's Championship, Melina!" Lillian Garcia announced. It surprised me how loud and outraged the boos were throughout the arena. I leaped to my feet and confronted the referee angrily, but he denied my allegations. Melina walked up the ramp backwards, smirking at me. I paced the ring impatiently until the cameras stopped and the show went to commercial.

As I walked backstage, my stomach twisted into knots. My promo Randy was in 10 minutes and I had absolutely no idea what to expect.


	11. Chapter 10

**Randy's POV**

I stood calmly waiting, silently watching the cameraman set up to film the promo. Lacey stood a little ways beside me, biting her lip. Her brown eyes were distant and foggy, and she crossed and uncrossed her arms before they fell awkwardly to her sides. There was tension between us again, and the rational side of me knew it was my doing, but the selfish side told me that I didn't care. Maybe it was for the best.

I wasn't about to deny that Lacey and I had gotten closer over the last few weeks. Maybe there was something about driving late at night to the next city and trying to find ways to keep each other up, but I've told Lacey more about myself than any other person in years. And, in turn, I had learned about her as well.

Lacey was complex, though not more complex than myself. In some ways we were opposites; she was friendly and kind to everyone while I didn't give many people a second glance. However, she was the most realistic Diva backstage. She had common sense, and quite honestly, I don't know why she put up with me. I knew I was selfish and mean at times, which was why I didn't like to associate with people. I didn't have a rope around her wrist; wasting her time on me was her choice. And it was still mind-boggling to me.

See, over my years spent of watching, rather than speaking, I had come to be very observant, and now as I watched Lacey, I knew she was nervous. Nervous about me, and our promo. Her eyes would twitch in my direction, but she would never keep them on me for over three seconds at a time.

"Ready?" The cameraman asked. Lacey looked at me warily. I gave one nod and the cameraman nodded back. "Alright. Rolling."

Instantly, Lacey began pacing in the small space of the hallway. The anxiety on her face was replaced with furious anger. I was impressed, to say the least.

"You saw that, didn't you? She didn't beat me!" She stopped right in front of me and I looked down at her calmly. "I was supposed to win! That was my one and only chance, and she took it! She cheated!" I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Lacey, just calm-" She shook my hand off.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Randy, don't you even dare tell me that. I was cheated; I've worked so hard for this just to be cheated out of a chance." It was getting closer. The moment everyone, the fans, the guys backstage, Vince, they were waiting for this moment. "This was one chance, the only chance I've had ever since I've come back." Behind the fake facade of anger in her eyes, there was a look of weakness and worry. She knew it was coming too. "I'm so tired of this, my one and only shot was taken by-" And it happened.

I reached forward quickly, my hand landing on the back of her head. My other hand went to her neck, and I tried not to think. The last thing I saw was her wide and deep eyes before I closed my own. Due to the height difference, I had to lean down, and all within seconds, my lips touched hers quickly. I tried not to flinch away from the warmth of her soft lips moving against mine. Every instinct in me was screaming for me to rip away, but I couldn't. Hatred and anger was spawning from the very core of me for the woman who had her lips on mine. I knew from the very second I found out about this storyline that she was no good. She was in disguise; everything that I didn't need. Everything I was trying to get away from.

The kiss ended just as quickly as it began. I almost forgot I still had to speak after I pulled away.

"Maybe that…will shut you up." I said softly, our eyes lingering on each other before I turned, and was finally allowed to walk away.

**—**

**Lacey's POV**

I looked in the direction Randy had walked for several minutes even after the cameraman told me we were done. It had been a long time since I'd ever kissed anyone, and I wasn't sure how to feel. My emotions were scattered, and my legs were shaking a bit. I didn't know what to do with myself.

"Lacey!" I jumped at a raspy voice and saw Mr. McMahon, taking long strides to reach me. I gave him a weak smile.

"Hi, Mr. McMahon." He grasped my shoulders and held me away at arms length, like a proud grandparent would with their grandchild.

"We've got gold with this. You should have heard the live reaction from the crowd that we got during it." He let out a jovial laugh.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." I murmured, smiling. He frowned a bit, dropping his arms.

"You look a bit pale, you feeling okay?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean, just a bit tired." He smiled.

"Well, be sure to get some rest tonight. Great job with your match too. At this rate, you'll be on top of the Diva's Division in no time; I'll be sure of it." The smile on my face now wasn't fake, but as soon as Vince walked away, my mind was back on Randy. I knew that the show would be over soon; I had to find him before he left without me.

**—-**

"Randy?" I asked, knocking on his locker room door. He didn't answer right away, and once he finally did, his face was blank and he already had his bag ready to go. I blinked.

"Oh…er, hi…" I murmured. He said nothing at first, looking empty. Expressionless.

"I'm going to go ahead and drive to the next city tonight." He said, his voice completely monotone.

"I thought….we agreed that it was too far…and we were driving there in the morning?" He stared at me

"You can do whatever you want. I'm leaving tonight." I frowned at his logic.

"Well, just in case you haven't noticed, Randy, I've been traveling with you lately. I don't exactly have any other way of traveling."

"I want to be alone tonight." His voice was firm.

"Okay, that's all very well, but what would you like me to do? Fly? How do you expect me to get to the next city?" I demanded. His eyes hardened.

"Get a ride with one of the Divas." I scoffed at him, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. Before I could speak, another one spoke in my place.

"You can stay with me tonight, Lacey. We'll drive together in the morning to San Diego." John had come up beside me in the hallway. He and Randy maintained eye contact for a long moment that seemed to last forever to me.

"Well, there's your solution. I'll see you around," Randy's words were cold and unfriendly as he shouldered past us and walked away. I was left staring after him once more.

"Are you okay?" John asked. I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Yeah. I guess I'm fine." I looked up at him. "You know, you really don't have to let me stay with you, I can find someone else…"

"No, no, I insist. We haven't really spent that much time together lately." He smiled a bright smile that great contrasted to Randy's expression. "It can be like old times." I found it impossible to frown at his warmth.

"…Okay, fine." I gave in. "Just let me grab my things."


	12. Chapter 11

**Lacey's POV**

"I just….I don't know anymore." I shrugged helplessly as I sat with my legs crossed on the bed across from John. He had been kind enough to exchange his room for one with two beds, to make me more comfortable. There was no way I could thank him for his kindness. "I mean, honestly, I'm just trying to figure him out. I'm trying to be a nice person to him, but no matter what I do, he still hates me." John watched me with a mild look of concern, laying on the bed with his shirt off.

"Randy's a very difficult person." He explained slowly.

"It's like trying to disarm a bomb. If I say something wrong, he stops talking to me and takes three steps back, back to hating me." I sighed, falling back onto the bed. "Is it me? Is it something I did, or said? Tonight he was more distant that ever…"

"Like I said before, Randy is very difficult. He has…trust issues." I sat up again, looking at John curiously.

"I wouldn't ever lie to him or give him a reason not to trust me." John hesitated.

"No, Lacey, he just has a hard time trusting people." I was completely confused.

"Has he always been like that?" John sat up with a sigh.

"Not always. There was a time Randy was almost the life of the party. He worked out with all of us and went out every time anyone wanted to party. Granted, he was immature and…stupid. But he was outgoing. Women flocked to him; he was like a magnet and he loved it." The person John was describing to me sounded like a completely different person than the Randy I knew. Nothing was making sense.

"So…what happened?" I asked softly. John's face looked remorseful.

"He met Sam." I didn't who Sam was or why that would be a bad thing. "He loved that woman, loved her to death. She was all he ever talked about. They got married in 2006…and it was only a few months later that they got divorced." I stared at John, puzzled.

"…Why?" Was all that came out of my mouth. John shrugged.

"Randy never talked about it. And after that…we just drifted apart. He stopped going out after awhile and kept more to himself. I knew he was hurting but he didn't want anyone to know it. I suppose he just has a hard time opening up to people now." I shook my head slowly from side to side.

"I don't understand it though. I mean, I never force him to tell me anything. I've been nothing but nice to him!"

"You're the first Diva, as a matter of fact, woman, he's associated with for this long. It's not your fault," I looked down at the tacky printed comforter on the bed and began to trace the patterns on it.

"It must get lonely." I murmured softly, now beginning to feel pity.

"It's the life he wants to live. He's stubborn. I don't know how he does it." John said.

"But if she cheated on him, she must not have been good from the start," I pointed out suddenly, looking up at John. He shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I mean, she must've been stupid! Why would she ever cheat on Randy Orton; he loved her a lot and he's virtually perfect-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there," John stopped me. "I'm gonna have to disagree with that. I know Randy better than you, probably better than anyone in this business. He's not a saint. He's always had a mean temper, and it seems to have gotten worse, and he wasn't always kind to women. He had a drug problem, you know about that. And, to top it all off, he's cocky as hell and won't listen to anyone. To say he's perfect is far from the truth, Lace."

"Nobody is perfect," I retorted defensively. "But I'm honestly getting a little tired of everyone trying to make Randy out to be some terrible movie villain. He's human and he's obviously been hurt. Nobody seems to know him very well anyways; it's all just assumptions and opinions."

"I know him." John spoke up. I stared at him for a moment.

"How well do you know the real him?" He didn't answer and we stared at each other for a moment longer. It was growing awkward, so I began to crawl underneath the covers of my bed. "Thank you for letting me stay with you, John. It was really nice of you." He smiled slightly at me, his blue eyes glowing with amusement.

"Going to sleep?" He asked. I reached up to turn out the light of the single lamp that was on.

"Yes, actually. We do have to get up early and travel tomorrow morning." He chuckled in the darkness and I heard him covering up with the blanket.

"It hasn't stopped us before. We would stay up all night back in the day."

"Until you always fell asleep on me for an hour and end up grumpy for the rest of the car ride," I recalled the memories fondly. "You are not going to be grumpy with me tomorrow. Goodnight." He stifled a low laugh.

"Assertive. Goodnight, Lacey." There was nothing but silence in the room, and I was sure that John had fallen asleep easily. He must be tired.

My mind unknowingly wandered to Randy. I stared up at the ceiling wide-eyed, not really tired at all. Wherever he was, I only hoped he was okay. Knowing what I now knew, it all seemed to make sense to me, and I almost felt guilty at leaving him alone even if that was what he really wanted. I didn't think anyone deserved to be alone all the time.

—**-**

**Randy's POV**

I just couldn't take it anymore. There was no way at all that I could spend a night alone with her now; I had to get away from her. Lacey made everything too complicated and ever since the damned kiss, I couldn't get her out of my mind.

It was more the obvious John cared deeply for her. A part of me hoped that she cared about him too; he was a great choice for her. John would always protect her and love her, and treat her like she deserved. But there was also a small part of me that didn't want her with him.

I sighed deeply in frustration, my irritation peeking. I just wanted a clear head, and I thought driving at night would help. I glanced at the clock above the radio controls in the car. It was one in the morning, and I wondered to myself if Lacey was asleep, or if she was up with John. Suddenly, I remembered how, long ago, I had given her my phone number, and almost wished I had accepted her offer and taken hers. But then again, maybe it was good that I didn't have it; better to not have the temptation around.

_Stop. Stop. Stop. You don't need to talk to her. This storyline will blow over soon and you won't have to deal with her anymore._ I repeated over and over in my head as I watched the lonesome dark road, but I was only half listening to myself.

I still had nearly two hours to go. At least once I arrived in San Diego, I could sleep and then my mind would temporarily stop. A slow smile spread on my face. The thought of sleeping without any thoughts brought out a desperate longing in me, so I continued to drive that lonesome road.


	13. Chapter 12

**Lacey's POV**

The first time I had drove in a car on my own was that following Saturday, after the RAW where Randy and I had shared a kiss. It was early morning and I was struggling to stop yawning as I drove to the radio station where Randy and I were being interviewed to promote the house show for tonight. I was anxious and antsy to see Randy, to make sure he was okay.

As soon as I walked into the building and saw him, chatting with the men that worked the morning radio, I knew instantly that he was okay, but not happy. It wasn't surprising in the slightest, and the small hope that I had inside me was crushed to crumbs. Obviously things weren't like they had been between us that short time, and I was starting to think I had only imagined him being nice to me.

"Oh, Lacey Reyes is here too!" One of the men announced, pointing in my direction. My cheeks flushed slightly as all three of them turned to look at me. "It's lovely to finally meet the one and only," He said, grabbing my hand. "might I add, you do look even more beautiful in person. My name is Mike." I smiled politely, feeling slightly uncomfortable at his obvious praise.

"Oh, well thank you. It's nice to meet you, Mike." I murmured.

"The pleasure's all mine. This is my partner, Steven." He introduced me to the second man, who, when standing next to Randy, looked small and thin. I smiled and shook his hand as well.

"Well, we've got a lot of questions to ask you two, so why don't we head on into the studio." Mike said. Randy followed silently, and I followed behind him, slightly disappointed that I couldn't yet speak to him alone. They helped us get set up, and we waited patiently to go back on air.

"Welcome back to KK 97.9, and we are now in the studio with WWE's Randy Orton and Lacey Reyes!" Mike spoke up. "How are you two?"

"We're great, we're great." Randy spoke up, before I could speak.

"Yes, busy as always, but busy is good." I added. "Tonight, here in Salt Lake City, we have a house show, which should be good so you all of course should check it out."

"Yes, that is quality entertainment, folks. Great entertainment for a reasonable price." Steven agreed. "Lacey, it comes to my conclusion that you're the top of the Divas Division, you're beautiful, talented, powerful-"

"That's debatable " Randy cut him off, looking down at the ground. I turned quickly to look at him, completely shocked. Why would he ever even say anything like that, especially now at a time where we were live on radio? That was a complete insult to me; he had buried me on live radio. It was hard to suppress the burning fury that bubbled in my chest. My emotions towards Randy were much like Randy's own emotions; I went from concern to hate in an instant. Steven stopped and stared at Randy, also looking perplexed.

"Why would you say that?" Steven ventured. Randy shrugged, not looking concerned or bothered. It was almost as if he were discussing something calm and minuscule like the weather.

"Well, she isn't the champion. I've always known the champion to be the face of a division."

"Wait, wait, wait, I thought you two were like a thing? An item, a package?" Mike asked, looking between the two of us. Out of the corner of my eye I could tell Randy wasn't looking at me, but that was fine. I wasn't about to look at him.

"You could say that." Randy said through clenched teeth.

"You both kissed last week on RAW; I watched it with my son." Steven pointed out, beginning to grow flustered.

"It's a love-hate relationship." I muttered.

"Oh, so he hates you and you love him?" Mike asked. I pursed my lips into a hard line, feeling my cheeks burn. Sometimes it felt like that; but right now I coulnd't stand Randy Orton.

"I would say it goes from something of love and hate. Back and forth. It's complicated." I sighed.

"Sounds like a Facebook status." Mike laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Even they could feel the stiff tension between Randy and I.

"Well, Lacey, going back to what I said before," Steven said hesitantly, sneaking quick glances at Randy. "you have been in the business for some time, and I'm sure you know what it takes to be on top. What would you say it takes to be the very best?"

"Someone who can be very independent and unique if you're like everyone else you're just not memorable. You have to be dedicated and loyal to the business, and persistent and hard-working. This business we work in is extremely hard and you have to put your heart in it 100%. Only the elite few even make it in." I explained.

"Would you agree with that, Randy?" Steven asked.

"Somewhat. I'd have to say it isn't that hard to get in if you're good." I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Well, some of us aren't third generation superstars. We actually have to work for what we have." Mike and Steven stared at us silently as Randy looked at me very slowly. I gave him a glance and turned away, not before seeing his hands clench into tight fists.

"Uh, right. Again, the WWE will be wrestling here tonight, one night only. See Randy and Lacey, along with plenty of other superstars and Divas, starting at $25 or less. Visit our website for complete details." Steven looked at the both of us cautiously as he spoke, before saying, "It was a pleasure having the two of you; thank you for stopping by."

"No problem." Randy said calmly, though from his eyes and body language I could tell he was close to breaking. He was a hurricane waiting to happen, a bolt of lightening waiting to strike. I was the target.

Sure enough, as soon as we stepped outside the studio room and into the hallway, Randy pushed me against the wall. I gasped in shock.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He spat at me. "You think you can bury me on the radio? You think you're so superior to me? I could end your career if I wanted to with a snap of my fingers!" His face was close to mine, and I wasn't quite sure he understood how angry I was as well. I slapped my hands onto his chest and shoved him away from me, surprising even myself when he stumbled a few steps back.

"Oh yeah, because you're a coward and you solve all your problems by getting rid of them, rather than working it out, because you're a whiny bitch and your father was a wrestler." His face lit with a vicious anger and grew more livid with each word I spoke, but I wasn't about to stop. "How dare you even say what you did on radio? You buried me first!"

"Because I have my own opinion that makes me the bad guy? I am so fed up with you. Everything about you is everything I can't stand!" He growled.

"Oh, and tell me why that is, Randy, just explain that. Because I've been nice? Because I'm the only damn person who even remotely cares, is that just too much for you to handle? Now I'm beginning to understand why everyone hates you; you're impossible" I yelled. Randy glared at me, and at this point the door to the studio opened and Mike and Steven stood in shocked bewilderment.

"Now that you finally understand, why don't you do me a favor and leave me alone." Randy's words were low and menacing, and I glared back.

"I'll go out of my way to avoid you, believe that, Randy." I stormed away from the scene and Randy and walked to my rental car. Once inside, I leaned back against the seat and let out a long and frustrated sigh.

This divorce that Randy had must have been a lot worse than what John told me, it had to be. If everything for Randy spiraled down after that moment in his life, that had to be the reason for all of his bitterness. And I knew, deep down, that, that experience had ruined and soured him and his perception. But I had tried, and he wasn't letting that wall down. And if he wouldn't ever let me in, maybe this was pointless. Even in my anger, I didn't want it to be pointless.


	14. Chapter 13

**Lacey's POV**

I didn't dare tell Vince that Randy and I no longer traveled together. Somehow, my public outburst with Randy at the radio station never reached Vince or any of the Creative Team. I had kept true to my promise and Randy's less than polite request of me staying away from him; it had been almost a month since we've talked other than a RAW show. I found it so odd how the fans knew nothing of the difficulties between us; to them we looked like the perfect pair. The fans now cheered Randy whenever he went to the ring, with me usually at his side. In all my years of wrestling, I had never been cheered for so loudly, or in such high graces of Mr. McMahon. If Randy didn't hate me, my life would virtually be perfect. However, I couldn't be so lucky.

I walked into the arena with my hair in a high ponytail and searched for the list of matches for tonight's RAW. The writing on the board was small and sloppy, and I thought I was seeing things when I saw the Diva's match for the night scribbled out with a different name above the old one. Scribbled out, the original match was Candice Michelle vs. Melina, but now it had my own name against Melina, who was now the Women's Champion. I smiled excitedly, ecstatic to finally have my own match instead of accompanying Randy to the ring or cutting promos.

"Ah, I see you've seen the changes for tonight's schedule." I turned to see a man with a beard, someone who I assumed was in charge of the writing. I nodded, smiling slightly. "Vince demanded you face Melina tonight instead of Candice. The plan was to build a rivalry between Melina and Candice for the title, but I have a feeling Vince wants you to go over at the next PPV instead." He explained casually while still sounding business-like. My heart gave an excited flutter; I was so close to having another title run, I had never expected it to be so soon after coming back from my ankle injury.

"Well, that's great to know. Thank you." I said politely. He gave a respectful nod.

"If you have any complaints or concerns, please come see me or the team, as well as Vince." I nodded and started for the Divas locker room. Unlike my first night back, where I saw no one and everyone hardly acknowledged me anyways, I was suddenly popular. I was earning nods and greetings from wrestlers and people who I hardly spoke to.

"Hey, Lacey, you comin' out with us tonight?" John Morrison asked from his place next to Mike the Miz and CM Punk. I gave a friendly shrug, stopping beside them briefly in the hallway.

"Maybe, I'll have to see."

"You should stop trying to corrupt such an innocent girl anyways." Phil scolded, slightly smirking. I chuckled and Mike rolled his eyes.

"I bet she's not so innocent as she seems." Mike teased.

"Such a good girl, she is!" John cooed playfully, rubbing the top of my head. I swatted his hand away with a laugh.

"Stop!" I scolded them with a laugh and ducked away. They laughed lightly, but my attention dispersed from them and instantly went down the hall I could make out a familiar tanned 6'4 figure. I heard someone speak, but I didn't catch their words.

"Lacey?" I turned back and all three of them were staring.

"Er, sorry, I have to go…" I murmured absently, anxious to meet the figure in my direct view. He was getting closer and I was almost certain he was staring at me too.

"We'll see you tonight?" Mike called as I hurried away.

"Uh…maybe!" I called over my shoulder, feeling their stares on my back as I came to stand face to face with Randy. I desperately wished Randy would just smile every now and then, but then again he wouldn't be the same Randy if he was prancing around everywhere and cracking jokes.

"Hi." I said curtly. He nodded.

"How've you been?" I would never truly get used to how deep his voice was. My mind could only imagine what he sounded like when he first woke up in the mornings.

"Good, thanks. I have a match tonight." He nodded again, looking down at the bag in his hand.

"So I've been told. I'm coming out in the middle of it." If I were a dog, my ears would've have pricked up in interest at his words, sort of like the way dogs always got interested when they heard their name.

"You'll be watching at ringside?" I asked.

"Yes, with great interest." He said before his gaze turned to one of ridicule. "Hopefully you'll be able to carry yourself and not make a fool. My expectations aren't too high."

"Well," I replied, my voice containing the same amount of mockery his eyes held. "I'll try to put on a good show." With that, I pushed past him and continued to the locker room to start getting ready. Once I walked in, I saw all the girls sitting around. They greeted me with bright smiles.

"Hey, girls!" I greeted them. Melina stepped forward with a smirk, giving me a one-handed hug.

"Hey. You ready for tonight?" She asked. Before I could answer, Candice walked by, throwing me a silent look before exiting the locker room. I looked to Melina quizzically and she shrugged. "She might be a bit upset. But don't worry about her, she'll get over it. We have to plan our match." I nodded, my excitement instantly growing high.

"Right. I have a few ideas, actually."

—**-**

**John Cena's POV**

Never had I ever been this intrigued in a Diva's match. It made me proud to see just how far Lacey has come ever since she started here, and I was beginning to realize she truly had it in her to carry the women's division on her shoulder's.

"Wow, Lacey just looks spectacular, as always!" Jerry "the King" Lawler said, and I couldn't help but agree from where I sat in my locker room. I imagined the atmosphere at ringside, and couldn't help but wish I was there.

Ironically enough, it was only a few minutes later when Randy walked out, walking with the gait of a slow and cunning predator. Lacey would always glance out at him at different periods of the match. He stood just outside of the ring, watching intently.

"Now, King, I'm not sure what Randy's intentions are." JR murmured.

"Nobody does, he's unpredictable! I don't understand why Lacey's with him!" The match continued, sometimes going back and forth, but mostly staying in Lacey's favor. Melina was on the mat, when Lacey turned and threw a sly, seductive smirk to Randy.

"Did you…did you see that look, JR? I wonder what that was…" He stopped as Lacey completely dropped to the mat and waited, waited to strike as a snake did. Melina was beginning to rise to her feet, and Lacey mimicked her, her face vivid and wild. Once Melina was standing upright, Lacey struck and brought her down with a nearly picture-perfect RKO.

"RKO! RKO! Lacey just hit an RKO!" JR exclaimed. I was awestruck.

"You think Randy taught her how to do that?" The King asked as Lacey pinned Melina for the win. Her music brought the arena to life and the crowd to their feet. She stood before leaping energetically onto one of the turnbuckles and pointing out to the crowd before smirking down at Randy, who returned her smirk. Again, I found myself wishing that I could be the one at ringside.

—

**Lacey's POV**

It was nearing the end of RAW, and I left the locker room with my bag in hand. My match with Melina was definitely one of my best in my career so far; I was so proud of how it turned out.

"Lacey." A rough voice called my name and I jumped out of my thoughts and turned to see Randy with an unreadable expression. My stomach turned. "Was that RKO something Vince told you to do?" I shook my head nervously, afraid he wouldn't approve.

"Um…no. It was my idea." I felt him looking at me as I looked at the ground.

"Hm." It sounded more like a growl than anything. I peeked up at him, coming to a halt.

"I did said I was gonna put on a show." He chuckled.

"It wasn't as a bad as I thought. You had the proper form….it can be perfected with a little help." He almost looked close to smiling, and I couldn't help myself from smiling; this was the happiest I had seen him in weeks.

"And would you be the one offering help?" The smile was beginning to grow bigger on his face, but before he could answer, another voice cut him off.

"Lacey!"

"Lacey, we're leaving soon, come on!" I turned and saw a bunch of the guys and a few of the Divas waiting to go, with John standing near the front.

"Why don't you just go- your friends are calling " The smile was gone when I faced him again. He turned away quickly, and I took a large step after him, reaching up to spin his shoulder around so he would stop and look at me.

"Come with us!" He looked down at me and stared directly into my eyes for a long time.

"Stop trying to change me." The words were menacing and spoken slowly like a warning, but underneath it was a plead from his inner self for me to leave him alone, and I sure as hell wasn't about to do that.

"I'm not." I told him honestly, speaking just as slowly and not taking my eyes from his.

"Then let me be."

"No!" He opened his mouth to argue, but I continued hastily "I mean, Randy, this isn't good! You can't just keep be introverted like this. You need to venture out of this damn shell of yours. Do something crazy!" He narrowed his eyes, annoyed.

"I'm about to do something crazy if you don't-"

"Come on Randy, just…try something new. Come with us.." This was the first time I had seen his eyes ever waver in uncertainty. As he shook his head, his eyes hardened.

"No. It's not my thing." He turned away from me like an angry and eager twister, eager to move. I latched onto his wrist, and I felt him tense up. His eyes questioned my actions, almost as if he couldn't believe my boldness. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"No, I don't. I won't." It was a verbal promise that I spoke. He lightly took his wrist from my grip.

"I'm telling you now; it's not wise to waste your time or effort on me. Go." He left without giving me a chance to protest. I stared after him with more to say and realized it had come to this, a tiring battle to see who would break first. As long as Randy didn't give in or I didn't give up, it would keep going until we reached an end.

"Lace?" I turned back half-heartedly to John, waiting next to a few of the other guys. "You coming?" I hesitated, running a hand through my hair.

"Honestly, I don't think so…" I trailed off and John began taking steps towards me. "No, no it's fine, go out with the guys, John. I'll be fine, I just want to sleep." The lies flowed from my mouth freely.

"You sure?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Of course. I'm fine."

"Alright." He stopped in front of me. "Remember, you can call me if you need anything. I'll answer." I nodded, smiling lightly. I turned stiff when his large hands cradled my face and he leaned forward to press his lips to my forehead. "Be safe, Lace." He turned away and walked, and for a couple of seconds, my mind was on John, instead of Randy.


	15. Chapter 14

**Lacey's POV**

It was now Sunday, a week since I had used Randy's finishing move as my own against Melina. It was time for the next PPV, which happened to be Breaking Point. I tried not to let the fact that I didn't have a match tonight bother me, but I had always been more of a pessimist than optimist.

My legs were crossed as I sat on my hotel bed, staring out at the early morning sun hesitantly. At least after Breaking Point tonight, we wouldn't have to travel, due to the fact RAW would be held in the same city tomorrow night. It was a great relief and another reason to look forward to the monthly PPV. The weight of my phone in my right hand seemed to grow heavier by the second, trying to remind me of it's presence and I did my best to ignore it. The screen highlighted a certain name on my contact list, and was only a second away from a call if I pressed a certain button.

Randy hadn't seemed to upset with me last Monday, he wouldn't really be upset if I called him now, would he? Surely not, it was nearing 6:30, and I knew from my time of traveling with Randy that he was always up before me. It was odd to think he was somewhere in this very hotel, doing his own thing and thinking his own thoughts. Maybe he was working out already. I bit my lip, knowing that I would never know unless I called. With a resigned sigh, I clicked a button and heard it dialing. I almost hung up about five seconds into the call, until I heard a very deep voice.

"Hello?" The sound of it surprised me; it was the first time I had heard Randy's voice over the phone. It was so thick with a slight growl to it, but smooth like velvet all at once. I cleared my throat before he could hang up.

"Randy?" I was suddenly conscious of my own voice and hoped I didn't sound too weird I hated the sound of my voice. What if he didn't even know who I was?

"Lacey?" His tone was colored in surprise, and it grew a bit more casual. "What do you want?"

"Um, well, I was going to go for a workout before going to the arena…and I was wondering if you wanted to join me?" My invitation was awkward, and I made a face in embarrassment. I wasn't quite sure how he was still on the phone with me.

"I'm sure John would love to." He told me. Ouch.

"Was that an indirect way of turning my offer down? I'm a little disappointed, Orton, I thought after the workout we could use the ring before anyone else got to the arena and you could give me a few tips on that RKO. You did promise."

"I don't make promises," He disagreed hastily "Promises are always lies. I'm sure a number of the guys would break their backs to go workout with you, or give you pointers in the ring, however, I like to work out alone." His words were close-ended, like he wanted to make me understand the situation wasn't open for a debate, but I spoke anyways.

"You spend too much time alone." Maybe it was better to be blunt with Randy. "You'll have plenty of years to be a grouchy and lonesome old man, but for now you're almost barely in your thirties. And there isn't anyone else in this business who is the master of the RKO. I promise I won't be annoying."

"I don't think that's possible…" He muttered before sighing. "Fine. Only you and I, not anyone else, got it? I'll meet you in the gym in five minutes." I smiled in triumph.

"See you."

—**-**

**Randy's POV**

It was well past five minutes as I stood, waiting uncomfortably in the empty gym. It was quite spacious for one in a hotel, but I couldn't appreciate it when my emotions were so close to being annoyed. I couldn't understand why women couldn't ever be on time.

Finally I saw her, walking with a slight bounce in her step. She entered the room, her dark eyes searching, and found me instantly. It was almost a surprise when she smiled at me, but it faltered when I didn't smile back.

"I said five minutes, not an hour." She rolled her eyes.

"I had to get all of this," She reached up to twirl a thick and long handful of dark hair with her short and very feminine fingers, "in a ponytail without it looking like a sloppy mess, and that is something you'll never understand." I frowned, although I was less irritated than before. It would be a different story if her face was caked in make-up and if she were wearing something other than an old t-shirt and tight capris with worn running shoes. Her face, from what I could tell, only had the lightest of make-up products, and her hair was up and effectively out of her face. I knew from that moment that she was at least serious about working out. She stared at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

"Well, let's get ready, I suppose." She nodded and began to stretch. I followed her actions, doing some of my own stretching. Stretching and warming up was always a must.

I tried my best to pretend she wasn't there, but I couldn't stop my eyes from glancing every few moments. She was extremely flexible, and she stretched with visible ease.

"You must've have been a cheerleader." I assumed as I saw her in a straddle position with her face and upper body completely flat against the floor, with her arms reaching out. She sat up, letting out a laugh.

"I think you forgot I was the girl nobody paid attention to. I had social anxiety, if anything." She spoke lightly, her eyes growing distant. It brought out the curiosity in me, and I took the bait.

"What makes you say that?" She shrugged, not meeting my gaze.

"I can be a shy person; I was extremely shy in high school." I raised an eyebrow and she noticed. "I know, I know what you're thinking, but out in the ring and on TV, it's different. I'm playing a character, and in that ring I can be the person I've always wanted to be. Fearless. Bold. Magnificent. Ever since I was young, I knew I needed to be in the ring, under the lights." Her dark eyes managed to be bright at the same time, and grew brighter as she spoke while flickering around the room. I couldn't deny that it was endearing to see her talk so enthusiastically of something, to see her speak of wrestling with such love and admiration. Lacey was definitely one of, if not, the best Divas we had on the roster currently, how could she not be considering the amount of dedication she had.

"I guess I never really thought I'd end up here, like my dad and granddad, but I suppose we always end up where we're supposed to end up, right?" I said and her gaze settled on mine, making me tense and feel almost vulnerable until she gave a slight nod of her head and stood up, heading towards one of the machines. I rose to my feet and headed to the machines on the opposite side of the room, focusing my mind on my workout and forgetting Lacey was in the room.

It was working until, nearly an hour later, I stood facing one of the mirrors and saw her walk out of the bathroom, her face lightly glistening. I continued my reps, watching her as she placed her hands on her hips, looking around the room. Her eyes landed on mine and we maintained eye contact through the mirror. I expected her to look away, but she didn't. Instead, a slow grin stretched upon her face. Her smile was contagious, and I looked down, trying to stifle my own smile.

"You ready to go to the arena?" She asked, approaching me. I put the dumbbells away and gave a nod, following her out of the gym and heading to our respective rooms to grab our things.

—**-**

"I look like a mess." Lacey groaned once we were in my car, staring into the mirror above the seat. I chuckled.

"You look fine." Without thinking, I kept speaking. "You look prettier with less make-up on anyways." I felt like I had said too much already and stopped talking. She didn't say anything, and when we stopped at a red light, I glanced over at her to see her watching me. She smiled a little and looked straight ahead again.

"You're facing John tonight, right?" She asked once we were driving again.

"Yeah, for the title."

"You going over?" It was something I wasn't even sure myself; the creative team was completely undecided on whether they wanted me to win the title or not.

"I don't know for sure yet, honestly. Will you be at ringside?" I asked her. She shrugged, crossing her leg.

"Most likely; I don't have a match so I assume that's what I'll be doing." She didn't sound particularly pleased, and I was sure she would rather be wrestling than being a valet; she wasn't meant to be a valet even if she was good at it. The crowd loved to see her, and I always got double the amount of cheers when she was with me.

"You'll have your title match soon, I'm sure." I encouraged her as I parked the car. She sighed, shrugging, and unstrapping her seat-belt.

"Maybe." She still sounded unconvinced as she got her bag out of the car and headed in towards the arena. I grabbed my own bag and hurried after her.

—

**Lacey's POV**

I sat on the turnbuckle, across the empty ring from Randy. A few of the backstage crew members were setting up equipment on the stage and ramp, and the titantron switched screens frequently, but we ignored them.

"You know, I'm impressed with you." He told me. I tilted my head, feeling my ponytail brush my shoulder.

"Why is that?" I asked curiously. Randy stalked closer.

"From what I've seen, you never use the same pattern of moves in all your matches. You're fresh, and you keep the crowd guessing." I hopped off the turnbuckle, highly interested in his observations.

"I want to keep my matches unpredictable." He nodded, his blue eyes glittering.

"You were extremely unpredictable last Monday. Nobody was expecting that RKO." I smiled.

"Yes, now why don't you help me with that so I can do it again, but this time, better." I said, watching as he smirked.

"Just remember, you won't ever do it better than me. Now listen closely, it's all about timing." His eyes were suddenly stern and his voice was serious, so I nodded my head in understanding. "Mainly, you have to make sure you know where you're putting your hands. Why don't you just try it." I took a deep breath to steady myself, before reaching out to grab his hand and throw him to the ropes. He bounced off of them and once he got closer again, I jumped up and reached for his head to bring him to the mat.

"Better than Monday?" I asked as we sat up. He stood up, reaching down to offer me his hand.

"About the same as Monday. Make sure you really focus to get the timing, you'll miss it if you don't do it at the right second." I nodded intently, and Irish whipped him once more. This time, my eyes never left his body and I reached for him a second faster than I had the time before. I knew I had done it perfectly as soon as we fell towards the mat. Randy sat up immediately his eyes shining and his lips slightly upturned on the corners.

"Excellent." His praise sent a smile to my face, and it grew bigger when I noticed Randy was in a good mood today, finally after having so many fights and arguments between us. The sound of clapping interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up towards the ramp, thinking it was one of the crew members clapping. Instead, it was Vince, and the smile on his face was one of happiness, like a child on Christmas morning.

"That was great, Lacey! Brilliant." He called from where he stood. Randy rose to his feet and I mimicked his actions, throwing a polite smile towards Vince. "I'm actually glad to run into you, Lacey. As you surely know, there originally wasn't a Diva's match on the card tonight, but after that match on Monday, I decided otherwise." He paused for a minute, and a spark of hope turned my heart warmer. "Tonight, you'll be up against Melina for the title in a lumberjack match." He stopped, the beginning of a proud smirk growing on his face. "You'll be going over."

"Oh…my gosh." My hands flew up to cover my mouth in shock. "Thank you, so much, Mr. McMahon." I said once I was even able to speak. I was completely caught off guard, and I wasn't sure if I even heard Vince correctly at all. Did he really say I had a title match, and that I would be the one going over?

"I told you that you would be at the top in no time," Vince said, turning to go backstage again. I turned to Randy, still a bit in shock and feeling dazed. He smiled a bit, placing a large hand on my shoulder and give me a pat.

"Told you you'd have that title match soon." He said, hiding a smile. I broke out into a full smile, feeling joy flood through my veins. My entire view on the PPV tonight had changed, and I was beyond ready to become the new Women's Champion.


	16. Chapter 15

**Randy's POV**

I wasn't sure how long Lacey had been standing in the doorway of my locker room, it could have been minutes due to the fact I was stretching with my back to the door. I finally turned, and saw her, looking bashful and almost embarrassed.

"I hope you don't mind if I spend my time with you before my match." Her voice sounded small, and even though she gave me the option to deny her presence, there was a slight pleading in her eyes. I knew she was nervous, but I wasn't quite sure why.

"No, I don't mind. Come in." She smiled a little but didn't say anything as she shut the door behind her and sat down on the floor in front of me. Her sparkly blue ring gear shimmered flamboyantly in the light every time she made the slightest movement, and her dark hair was in soft curls down her back. Despite all of this, the thing that stood out the most were her warm eyes, so light compared to her black eyelashes. They were also full of anxiety. "You nervous?" I asked as I continued stretching. She shrugged, looking at the floor.

"I don't know how I could not be." I continued to stare at her.

"There's no reason to be nervous; you know you're going to win. You just need to focus on putting on a good match." I told her. She looked up, her facial expressions more visibly troubled.

"That's the point, Randy, I try not to be nervous. But I don't know if I'll be able to deliver. I don't want to have just a below average match and win the title. This will be my 5th title, it might not mean anything to anyone else, but to me, it does. I want to be memorable." Lacey's voice grew more passionate with each word, and her eyes had a fire, that somewhat diminished as she now sighed, "Sometimes I feel like I'll never make the impact that I want."

"Don't be stupid. You can do anything that you want." I retorted. She rolled her eyes.

"Easy for someone like you to say; you were born into wrestling," Suddenly, she smiled at me. "Without a doubt, you'll definitely be in the hall of fame someday." Her comment had taken me by so much surprise that my mind went blank and I could only stare. Never before had anyone told me something so sincerely and honestly, like they had so much faith in me. Like I truly mattered and they wanted me to know that, because that's how they felt. It made me feel something that I didn't want, nor like.

"I…I..don't know about that, but…" I honestly didn't know what to say.

"Do you ever get nervous?" She changed the subject.

"Of course, at times. But I've done it so much that I'm used to it. I've seen you in the ring, you have nothing to be nervous about." I tried my best to reassure her, but to me, it sounded awkward.

"You know, I've learned a lot about ring presence from you." She mused, wrapping her arms around her knees. "You look great- I mean, with your facial expressions and everything." Her cheeks turned pinker and she looked away. I cleared my throat.

"Thanks. Working with different people is always a good experience sometimes." I murmured, offering her the best compliment I could. There was a knowing glint in her eyes, and a slow smirk.

"You didn't to work with me before, though. You would have rather died than work with me." She said. I chuckled, standing up.

"I suppose so. Nothing personal…" I said, feeling a little hint of guilt. "I just…didn't like the idea of working with a woman." She frowned, and stood up. I had to look down to look at her.

"Why is that?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and making the curls of her hair fall to one side.

"Women are always trouble." Her eyebrows pushed together in confusion.

"Not always, you can't even say that." She disagreed.

"I've got plenty of reason to believe so." I muttered, turning away from her to get my knee pads from my bag.

"Well…I'm going to go find Melina…I'll see you around." She murmured softly, and I heard the sound of my door clicking softly shut as she left. I let out a long sigh and began to get ready, trying to forget her and focus on my match for later tonight.

—**-**

**Lacey's POV**

Maybe there was truth in what Randy said. I had to believe that as I stood, in the center of that ring, directly across from Melina. Our match was nearing the ten minute mark, and there was no way to determine who would win, but I knew. I knew it was me. And despite being across the ring from another talented woman, and being surrounded by the rest of the beautiful Divas in the locker room, I knew it was my time to represent all of us as a whole, and I was ready.

I wasn't quite sure why Vince had made this match a lumberjack match. The Divas around the ring served no purpose, besides added beauty, but otherwise, they were useless. I couldn't help but feel selfish and wish they weren't there, but nothing would take this moment away from me.

Melina and I rushed at each other again, and once she gained the upper hand, she yanked me by the hair and threw me over the rope. I landed a bit awkwardly on my feet and felt a stinging pain shoot up both of my legs, making me fall instantly to my knees.

"You okay?" Mickie asked in my ear as she helped me to my feet. I clenched my teeth and nodded.

"I can do this. I'm fine." I was speaking more to myself than Mickie as I slid back into the ring, underneath the ropes. For the rest of the match, I had a slight limp, but I continued on without a problem. Soon, I realized I would have to do a diving cross body off the top rope. Even with the slight pain I felt in my leg, I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I climbed higher and higher on top of the turnbuckle. The crowd was nearly screaming, and they all leaped to their feet as I jumped and landed, pinning Melina perfectly. But before the referee could even count to three, I was pulled off of Melina, by Beth Phoenix. Mickie jumped into the ring and landed on top of Beth with a lou thesz press, and they rolled out of the ring, creating chaos on the outside.

As I turned back to Melina, she tried to kick me with a high boot, but I ducked underneath her. Once behind her, I waited until she turned back around to look at me, and just as she turned to face me again, I hit the real finish with a RKO, now perfected after the tips I had received from Randy. As I went for the pin, I could see people in the crowd, jumping up and down. It was surreal when the referee counted to three.

"Here is your winner, and the NEW Women's Champion…Lacey Reyes!" Lillian announced into the microphone as my music played. There was no pain in me now as the referee handed me the most precious thing in the world. The title shimmered underneath the lights and I took it carefully, like one would handle a newborn baby. I stood to my feet, and raised the title above my head, feeling a wave of fierce pride as the fans cheered.

The "bad" Divas had left with Melina, while the "good" ones were waiting for me just outside of the ring, clapping and jumping up and down with happiness. I slid out of the ring and walked over to them, having them envelop me in a tight group hug. We walked up the ramp together, and once at the top, I stood in the center with my title in the air and a huge grin on my face.

"Great job!" Kelly Kelly told me, among the other women as they all congratulated me backstage. I took their praise humbly, but couldn't help but notice Candice break away from the group and walk away. I watched her in concern, and hoped that she was okay.

—

I had mixed emotions as I watched Randy and John exchange blows in the ring. I was waiting just backstage, watching from the screen. The match would be over anytime time, and no matter who won the WWE Championship, they would be a great champion. I, however, had a feeling that I knew who was going to win.

"Oh, and here it is, Attitude Adjustment-no! No! RKO! RKO!" The commentators went wild as Randy crawled feebly to cover John, and I knew it was over. The crowd was on there feet, just as they had done for me, and it wasn't long before Randy was backstage, panting, but smiling. He was smiling.

"You were amazing!" I couldn't help but congratulate him in excitement, and held my hand up for a high five. He chuckled and lightly tapped his hand against mine.

"Excellent job, you two." I heard a raspy voice say from behind me. Mr McMahon approached us with a wide and happy grin. "We've had a very successful PPV; I knew you two wouldn't let me down." We gave a respectful nod as he sauntered away, and I looked back up at Randy.

"Ready to go?" I asked. He nodded, and we walked wordlessly together to our locker rooms to get out stuff, and head back to our hotel for the night.

—

I thought since Randy had won, he would be talkative, but he was more silent than ever. I would take tiny peeks at him from the passenger seat as he drove, and I could see he was thoughtful, not angry. There were deep creases in his forehead, and he chewed his lip. I sat patiently, not wanting to anger him. I knew he needed his space at times.

He pulled into the hotel parking lot, and parked in a more secluded spot. There were no other cars around. The engine cut, and there was infinite silence. I expected Randy to get out, right away, but he sat back against the seat, looking aged. I hesitated, not knowing what to do, or say.

"Randy?" I asked tentatively. "Are you.."

"I can't do this." He murmured, cutting me off. I waited for him to go on, but it seemed as if that was all he was going to say.

"You can't do what?" I asked, making my voice as gentle as I could. I never knew when he was going to explode.

"This." He made a gesture with his hands to point between the two of us. "Vince has made you champion, and he's made me champion. We're the championship couple. His money-makers. The golden couple." I wasn't sure why he was so upset. He wasn't mad, this was genuine distress.

"It's only a storyline…" I tried to point out. He shook his head slowly.

"It's becoming more, I know where this is going." The shaking of his head grew more vigorous, more defiant. "I can't." I couldn't stop thinking about his divorce, and trying to draw a connection.

"Is it…because of the divorce?" I flinched as his head snapped around to look at me and instantly regretted my words. This was the moment I was waiting for; Randy's outburst. He was beyond livid.

"How do you know about that? Who told you?" He yelled, disturbing the silence between us.

"John-"

"That's none of your business! Not your business, or his business-"

"Randy-"

"Shut up! Just shut up! Don't talk to me. Get out." He growled, his words slicing the air like a knife. I sat for a moment, feeling my heartbeat race. Finally deciding that there was no point than to do anything other than leave, I opened my door and began to get out.

"She cheated on me." I almost didn't catch his words, but I was almost positive that was what he said. I froze for a long moment before sliding back into the seat, and looking at him. The anger was gone, and what was left on his face could be described as the aftermath. There was cold pain, nothing but overwhelming grief. My heart nearly broke at the sight of Randy Orton, looking so weak and hurt. Broken. I never believed I would ever see Randy broken.

"What?" I whispered. It was like I wasn't there, and Randy stared straight ahead unseeingly.

"My…wife." He almost couldn't say the word, and continued speaking almost inaudibly. "She cheated on me."


	17. Chapter 16

**Lacey's POV**

"She…she cheated?" I whispered, dumbfounded. Randy swallowed hard and nodded slightly, before he opened his door roughly.

"Doesn't matter now, it's in the past." He said gruffly, though his eyes still glistened in pain as he slammed the door shut. I quickly got out of the car and saw him grabbing his bag, along with mine. He turned and began to head to the lobby. I scrambled to catch up to his gruff pace.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" I murmured, my shorter legs struggling to keep up. I looked up to him expectantly, but he only clenched his jaw silently. I didn't push it; if Randy wanted to tell me, he would.

The way up to our rooms was deadly silent, and full of tension. I could tell Randy was still trying to compose himself, and I hoped he didn't regret blurting out the truth. I wasn't like a teenage girl that only wanted to know juicy gossip; I had finally found out the reason for Randy's ways. To my knowledge, no one else knew the reason why Randy was the way he was- not even John. I just wanted to help Randy.

I walked with him to his room, which was just before mine, and he walked in with my bag still in his hand. Maybe he did want to talk about it, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. I followed him in quietly and shut the door behind me. He had already placed the bags down and had began opening the sliding door to the tiny balcony. I stared after him as he stepped out onto the balcony, debating whether I should join him or not. Finally, I decided it would be a little cruel to leave him to himself while he was in this state.

His back was to me as I stepped onto the balcony. The cool night air hit my face and was refreshing. Randy was leaning against the rail, looking down at the city. I moved to stand beside him and waited patiently.

"Her name was Samantha," He spoke finally, his voice low. "I called her Sam. She was unlike any other woman I had ever met before. Intelligent, down-to-Earth, funny, and so beautiful. I remember I could never get tired of talking with her; she was always so interesting and I just wanted to know everything about her." It was odd to hear Randy use such a gentle tone; much like seeing horror movie villain giving roses to the victim. But Randy was not a villain; he was the victim. His face turned sour within an instant.

"I decided very stupidly within a year or two of knowing her that I wanted to marry her- I mean, she was perfect to me. We got married, and I was the happiest man alive…" He stopped, his voice slightly flattering near the end. I almost didn't want to make him keep talking, but I also wanted him to tell me what he wanted to. If it made him feel better, I would listen.

"I can just remember everything so clearly, like it was yesterday…all the moments with her. Seeing her walk down the aisle and knowing she was marrying me." He had to stop again and pressed his lips together tightly. "And then she ruined everything with one choice." I heard the tone of his voice shift and waited once again, knowing it wasn't my place to speak yet.

"I should have known she wouldn't have been able to take or understand what it was like to be married to a wrestler. Someone who was on the road every day out of the year. She would complain constantly, and it would drive me crazy; I felt helpless and terrible." He snorted, shaking his head. "I came home one day to surprise her…and found her with one of my best friends in bed." I could feel my jaw drop, and no longer could contain my silence.

"Why would she ever do that to you when you loved her so much?" He looked over at me, a grimace on his face but pain in his eyes.

"I asked myself the same thing for a long time." His voice was soft and numb. "I blamed myself. I always thought that maybe if I were around more, she would have stayed." I shook my head slowly.

"If she cared at all….she would have never even dreamed of hurting you." I murmured. He nodded his head.

"I've learned that in the end…no one really cares. I have to look after myself because no one gives a damn about what happens to me but myself. I don't ever have to worry about someone hurting me like that again." He explained. I stared at his face, noticing the way the ivory moonlight highlighted the features of his face and turned his blue eyes to silver.

"As much as you have a reason to think that, I have to disagree. I've always believed that there's a person out there for everyone, and finding them isn't always easy, but when you do, you just know it. And you realize why you're supposed to be with them. And it isn't just an automatic fairytale; its hard, but real. Like…destiny." I said. He chuckled.

"That's easy for someone like you to believe. You've never been broken." He disagreed. It was my turn to laugh.

"Oh… believe me Randy. Countless times. Almost every guy I had feelings for, and even the few guys I dated, they always ended up hurting me. I was never good enough." I could feel his eyes on me, and I shrugged. "It doesn't do any good to dwell on it, and it just takes me one step closer to the right person." I looked at him as I finished speaking to find him still staring.

"I prefer to be alone." He said slowly before looking down at the city again, and I kind of wished that he didn't want to be alone.

—**-**

**Randy's POV**

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, but at the same time, I still felt heavy. Now that I had actually told someone, it felt good; a lot better than holding it in. But at the same time, I somewhat regretted telling Lacey. She could judge me, or suddenly think that she knew me, when in reality, she didn't. But deep down, I knew she wasn't like that. She was different.

It scared me, because I thought Sam was the same way. Sam seemed so perfect from everyone else, and she turned out to be my worst nightmare. Now, Lacey had come along and forced down the walls I had kept up for so long, no matter how hard I tried to stop her. She was like a fire, so bright and warm, and quickly melted down the icy walls that I had surrounded myself with for so long. And I didn't like it, but there wasn't much I could do about the situation.

"C'mon, let's go inside." I murmured. She nodded and walked ahead of me, inside the room. Once I had shut and locked the balcony door, she was sitting on one of the beds with her legs crossed and biting her lip, looking hesitant.

"Randy..can I ask you something?" I wanted to say no, but for some reason I nodded my head, allowing her to finish. I sat on the bed across from her and waited. "Well…I just…some of the guys awhile back said that you were on a lot of drugs and…I just.." Her eyes quickly flickered around the room, searching. I wasn't all too sure what her question was. She looked up apologetically. "I just want to know the truth from you, not what everyone else thinks or made up. I'm not judging you, I promise; I don't think I could ever judge you."

I was going to answer her question, but the last part of her statement made me curious. "What do you mean?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I mean…that it would be hypocritical of me to judge you when you've never judged me at all. Everyone tells me things about you all the time, but I kind of just listen without accepting it, because they don't know you at all. I think that's only fair." She explained honestly.

"Yes, I did do a few drugs. I got suspended for it. Hell, I nearly died from it. So I stopped because I knew I could go down one path or go down another." She nodded, smiling slowly.

"That's really amazing, Randy, you should give yourself credit for that. Not very many people can do that on their own."

"We should sleep now." I said, slightly ignoring her praise. "We still have RAW tomorrow night." She nodded, and stood up to get clothes from her bag. She took the bathroom to change and I changed quickly while she was in there, like we always used to do. It was one of the only familiar routines I had ever established with another person in a long time, and it was almost comforting.

It didn't take long for us to settle into our respective beds; we were both exhausted.

"Goodnight, Lacey." I murmured into the darkness.

"Sleep well, Randy." She answered back immediately. Her voice alone was soothing, and I was secretly grateful to have her presence back again. Even after all I had told her tonight, she acted as if nothing had happened. Nothing changed, and for that I was also grateful. But maybe talking about Sam wasn't such a good idea, because once you reopened old wounds, it took time to close them again.

—**-**

I awoke with a slight gasp, with my breathing hitched. The dark room confused me, until I remembered I was still in the hotel room. I let out a small sigh; the things I had just relived weren't true. I wasn't with Sam; it had all been a dream, and I couldn't determine if that was a good thing or not.

The lamp flickered on, and I squinted against the sudden brightness. Lacey, who I suddenly remembered was only a bed away from me, was sitting up in her bed, looking at me curiously.

"Bad dream?" She guessed softly, her serene voice contradicting with the harsh light. I nodded slightly.

"Yeah…" I murmured scratching the back of my head. "Yeah. It was nothing." She hesitated before she threw the cover back and moved to sit cautiously at the foot of my bed.

"I…heard you. It sounded like you were having a bad dream, so…I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I sat up, shrugging.

"I'm always okay. Never good though. It's times like this when I just…" I looked down, ashamed, because I could a lump forming in my throat, and it made it harder for me to talk. Ashamed, because I was supposed to be strong. Especially ashamed, because this was never supposed to happen in front of anyone. Breaking down when you're alone was okay, but to do so in front of someone was to show a certain weakness nobody was supposed to see.

Wordlessly, Lacey crawled up to sit beside of me. She had a look of deep understanding in her eyes. "You miss her." She said simply, as if that were okay, as if it were perfectly normal.

"I'm not supposed to. Look what she did to me!" My anger collided with my sadness, and I tried to block the images of Sam's face in my head, to no avail. Lacey's hand touched my arm gently, and her face was full of sympathy. I didn't even realize that I had a stray tear rolling down my cheek, and I brushed it away harshly with the hand that Lacey wasn't touching.

"It's okay to miss people. Because sometimes it's not always the people we miss, but the moments we had. We remember what it was like and how they made us feel, and we want it back….but almost always, its unreachable. It's okay to relive those times, but accepting the fact that it's over is the right thing to do."

"I know that, but I don't want to miss her. I don't want anything to do with her. I wish I never met her from the start." I was thankful that my voice was still strong. Lacey rubbed my arm soothingly.

"It happened for a reason, you have to believe that." She whispered. Another tear down my cheek, but I was too tired to brush it away this time. "Just go back to sleep, Randy. It's been a long night. You'll feel much better in the morning, I promise. Just go to sleep." I obeyed her words and wanted to ask her to keep talking, because her voice calmed me and made me forget, but I didn't want to speak. Her soft hand continued to rub my arm comfortingly, however, and that was enough to send me straight to sleep.


	18. Chapter 17

**Randy's POV**

I was half-asleep, but I could hear a steady sound of water running. My eyes flickered open, and I knew it was mid-morning, due to the fact the the sunlight was desperately trying to enter our room, but the curtains blocked its attempts I let out a sleepy groan, and glanced at the nightstand clock. 9:41 AM.

Lacey was in the shower. I wondered how long she had been up and why she didn't wake me up, before i realized she wouldn't dare disturb me. Anyone else would've already waken me up, either accidentally or purposely, but Lacey was just one of those rare people who put other people first before herself. Maybe that's why I could never find it in myself to hate her; she cared too much.

Nerves clawed at my stomach as the shower stopped abruptly. Fiery humiliation filled me from head to toe as I remembered everything that happened last night. Nobody else had ever seen me in that state, and I was afraid of what that would mean.

It was nearly five minutes later when Lacey walked out quietly, dressed in a pair of shorts and a white long sleeved shirt that had three buttons on the top, with two of them unbuttoned. She looked startled to see me awake, but I think I was the more surprised one.

She was fresh-faced with no make-up on whatsoever. Somehow, her brown eyes looked even more brighter and wider. Her face was slightly freckled, especially on her nose, and she looked exceptionally younger. In my head, I compared how she looked when she was on TV, and now how she looked standing in front of me, and decided I liked the latter better.

"Good morning." She murmured, her sweetly soft voice matching her face. "I'm sorry if I woke you up; I tried not to." I shook my head quickly.

"No, I woke up on my own." I looked down at the bed sheets and didn't look up, even as I felt her sit on the edge of my bed. I mustered up enough nerve to meet her eyes and drag words from my head and out of my mouth. "About last night…" But that was all I could say. She seemed to understand and shook her head.

"Hey, it's okay, it's not even a big deal. Sometimes we just have to get things out. You can always tell me anything, Randy, I hope you know that." Her words were sincere, and I nodded.

"It's just hard to talk about. I try not to. I try not to think about it at all, honestly. There isn't anything I can do about it, so it's pointless to dwell." She nodded and a smile graced her face. It was the best curve of her body.

"Well, why don't we go get a morning workout in, and then we can go get food?" Her suggestion made all of my chagrin from last night disperse, and I nodded, stretching and getting up. She walked to her bag to grab something, which I realized was her make-up bag.

"Lacey?" She turned to look at me curiously. "You should go light on the make-up today. You look much better without it." I said. The corners of her mouth slightly pulled up while the rest of her mouth tried to frown, creating a look of embarrassment.

"Oh. Er, okay. Thank you." She stumbled with her words, and I smiled in amusement, heading to change in the bathroom.

—

**Lacey's POV**

As we approached the gym, I could hear noise radiating from it. Randy's walk slowed significantly to the point that he stopped.

"It sounds busy. Maybe we should come back." He murmured. I glanced through the clear windows and could make out men much too muscular to be normal average people. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were wrestlers. I could even see John.

"Wait, Randy, they're just wrestlers. It's fine." I told him. He still hesitated.

"…You can go on ahead. I'll just go another time." I knew he was reluctant to be around the other wrestlers, but now I also knew the reason why, and I was no longer going to allow Randy to be the reclusive man he always was.

"No, we're going together. C'mon; it's working out. You don't even have to talk to them." I told him. He scowled, and I turned without waiting to walk into the gym, hoping that he would follow. He did, but he didn't look happy about it.

"Hey! There's the champ!" Chris called as he saw me, though he didn't acknowledge Randy, who was also now a champion. I smiled lightly and took a peek at Randy. He stood silently by my side, expressionless, as they all began to gather around us.

"Nice to see you getting a work-out in." John smiled at me, and was the first one to even look at Randy. "Hey, man. Nice job out there last night, that was -dare I say- one of the best matches I've ever had for the title." He said respectfully, giving him a nod. Randy nodded back.

"You too." His voice was deep, and guarded. Being around a lot of people made him uncomfortable and he looked to the ground as the eyes of everyone shifted to him curiously. I spoke up.

"I'm truly surprised that I went over last night, honestly." I wanted to direct the attention off of Randy, to make him a bit more at ease. It worked.

"How are you even shocked; Vince has made it very clear he's invested all of his time into this particular storyline. You're white-hot." Chris Jericho explained, his eyes crinkling as he smiled and reached over and to playfully jab my side. I shrugged.

"I guess I never expected it."

"The greatest things always manage to sneak up on us." JBL said, and with that the group broke apart. Randy and I walked side by side to the back of the gym, where it was empty.

"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" I asked him under my breath. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Gotta love all that attention." He said sarcastically. I giggled lightly before we both began our separate workouts.

—**-**

About an hour later we finally finished. It was a light workout; great and refreshing after a hard night. Randy and I were leaving together and entered the hotel hallway when I heard my name being called, and turned to see Paul (Triple H), Shawn, John Cena, and Chris Jericho standing together, watching me expectantly.

"Hold on." I murmured apologetically to Randy, and walked towards the group. He followed me a few steps and hovered a few paces behind me. "Hey, guys." I greeted them all.

"We wanted to know if you wanted to join us for brunch." Shawn said warmly. He'd always been so kind to me. Paul, on the other hand, watched me with strict and narrowed eyes. He was extremely intimidating but as far as I knew, he didn't have a problem with me. At least that's what I hoped.

"Um, well…" I murmured.

"Aw, c'mon. Just come." Chris grinned, and John cracked a smile as well. I smiled back.

"Alright." I gave in, but suddenly remembered Randy with a jolt, and turned around to look at him. He was watching me sternly. "Will you come to eat with us too?" I asked him hopefully, not caring if the other guys wanted him to come or not. Randy looked between John and I and over my head at Shawn and Paul before he slowly shook his head and began to stalk past us towards the elevators.

"I think I'm just going to go back up to the room. You all have a nice time." He muttered, prowling right past Paul and Shawn. Paul followed Randy with his eyes, continuing to chew his gum uncaring and Shawn shrugged.

"Coming?" Shawn asked, as if what just happened didn't happen at all. John nodded and we all began to move towards the lobby. I looked back behind us one more time, and saw Randy walking down the hallway without looking back. It didn't feel right.

"Hold on guys," I murmured. "Randy wait!"

—**-**

**John's POV**

"What is she doing?" Chris asked inquisitively.

"She sure is good at starving people." Shawn sighed and began to walk the opposite way while looking longingly at the exit of the hotel. Chris joined him, and they began to talk.

"Does she know?" Paul asked me after a moment of standing together in silence.

"Know what?" I asked after finally tearing my gaze off of Lacey. She had now reached Randy and was arguing with him in low voices. Just by their expressions I could tell they were arguing. When I looked at Paul, he had an intense stare.

"That wasting her time on Randy and his bullshit will get her to nowhere?"

"I think she does know that deep down." I sighed. "But she doesn't give up on him. Haven't you noticed this was the first time Randy's ever worked out with all of us? It's all because of her."

"I'm surprised he hasn't snapped at her yet." Paul observed, turning back to watch them talk intimately.

"Oh, he gets annoyed. I'm sure he has before, but Lacey never changes the way she acts towards him. It's odd; she's not usually a patient person." I shrugged. "Probably just feels bad for him."

"Orton doesn't want her pity. It's just the way he is. She needs to stop wasting her time." Paul said harshly and turned his back on them to walk to Shawn, who was leaning against the wall beside Chris.

"Sorry, guys!" John heard a minute later, and turned expecting to see the Diva alone. Instead, Randy was walking right behind her with a begrudging look in his eyes. "Let's go, now." She saw Shawn and her eyes turned sympathetic. "Oh, Shawn, I'm so sorry! Here, I'll pay this time." She apologized, hurrying to walk beside the veteran and Chris. Randy slowly stalked between Paul and John, maintaining eye contact with Paul before following after Lacey.

"I guess I was wrong." Paul muttered and followed them out the door, with me right behind him.


	19. Chapter 18

**Lacey's POV**

"How's this table?" The hostess asked as we were seated. John slid into one side of the booth towards the window on the wall, and I slid into it next to him. Just before Randy could slide in next to me, Shawn beat him to it and unknowingly took Randy's intended spot. Randy looked between Shawn and I, standing aimlessly, before he was forced to take the only spot available; the spot at the end of the opposite booth, next to Chris who sat next to Paul. I felt a little guilty and tried to apologize with my eyes at him, but he only looked down.

"Hi, welcome to iHop, can i start you all of with something to drink? Ice tea, juice, lemonade, coke?" The perky waitress asked us once we were all settled in.

"Who drinks coke this early?" Shawn muttered, putting his glasses on to look at the menu.

"Well, it is almost eleven, Shawn," Chris told him. "I think we'll all have water." He continued before quickly glancing at Randy. "Is that okay?"

"I'm not the only person here," Randy pointed out mildly.

"You're the only one here that doesn't go out often." Paul pointed out. I began to grow uneasy when Randy developed a look of slight irritation.

"I don't see you always breaking your neck to spend time with the boys." Randy retorted, using the word "boys" tauntingly. The lines in Paul's forehead deepened, and the waitress glanced around the table warily.

"Water's fine, thanks." I spoke up quickly, before anyone could say anything else. The waitress nodded vigorously and left the table even quicker. We all went back to looking at the menu, besides Randy, who sat with his arms crossed. He wouldn't look at me, and I felt even worse now, because I knew I was the one who had essentially made him come anyways.

"Are we all ready to order?" The waitress asked cautiously after she had come back with our drinks. We all ordered, until it reached Randy, and he closed his menu with one hand.

"I'm not very hungry anymore." He murmured, standing up with narrowed eyes and walking towards the front entrance of the restaurant with his hands in his pocket. I watched him leave worriedly. Paul shook his head, before he ordered his food as well, and the waitress left us again.

"Excuse me, Shawn," I murmured after a moment of us sitting in an awkward silence. He began to slide over to stand, so I could get out of the booth.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Paul asked me with a slight glare on his face. I paused, and my worry for Randy quickly shifted to a very sudden feeling of anger. It was a feeling that just erupted inside of you at the most random times, and it made you want to lash out and anyone and everyone.

"Wherever the hell I please!" I snapped. "It doesn't concern you. Do you want to hold my hand and walk me to the bathroom?"

"We all know you're not going to the bathroom." He muttered darkly.

"Maybe I'm not, but like I said before, it's not any of your business what I do." I shot back, eager to get my point across to him.

"Lacey, just tell me why you're wasting your time?" He asked me, and his voice grew deeply exasperated. "You're a smart woman. Can't you see that everything about Randy is pointless?"

"I don't even understand where you're going with this. Randy is not pointless. Maybe all he's needed all this time was a friend." I never thought I would ever be having a conversation like this with Paul. I had forgotten about everyone else at the table.

"You don't even know Randy. I know the real Randy. I was with him from the start of this business, I know how he thinks and what he says. He isn't good for you to be around so much. You're gonna get pulled in, and he'll fool you into thinking that he cares, but he doesn't. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Paul told me. I glared fiercely, reminding myself over and oer in my head of everything personal that Randy had shared with me. I was sure as hell that Randy had never told Paul any of that.

"If I don't even know the real Randy, then there's no way in hell that you do. Randy isn't who you think he is." I disagreed stubbornly.

"He isn't who you think he is." Paul growled at me. "You need to get that through your pretty little gullible head. Mark my words, every time you think you're getting closer to him, it isn't happening. It's pointless."

"You're pointless!" I yelled, and some of the other farther tables had turned their heads to look. "You're delusional." I felt John touch my shoulder gently, but it felt like he was trying to issue a warning to me, like a parent would do to a disobedient child, rather than comfort me, and I quickly shook his hand off. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to excuse me." Shawn let me through, and I quickly walked out of the doors to the restaurant.

Randy and I had rode in the same car over here, along with John. I felt the keys in my pocket so Randy was still here in the parking lot somewhere. Hopefully, I mean there wasn't really any other place he could go. I headed out towards my rental car, hoping to find him somewhere around it. Sure enough, he was leaning against the back of it, fumbling with a cigarette pack.

I walked up to him silently, much calmer than I has been while inside, and took the pack out of his hands. He didn't try stopping me, much to my own surprise, and I put the box into in my own pocket. He sighed deeply and looked up at the sky.

"You don't need it." I told him lightly, and he didn't reply. I wasn't sure what to say, or how to apologize exactly, so I stood beside him wordlessly.

"This is why…I never go out." He murmured. "There's no point in it. They never say, 'Gee, Randy, it sure is nice to have you with us', or, 'Hey, Randy, what's new?'. It's always mockery." He kicked a small rock beside his shoe.

"Well, arguing with them isn't going to get you anywhere. It's just going to cause even more trouble." He nodded, and I found it funny how calm he was now. We were both a lot calmer together.

"I know it isn't. But Paul has always been on my ass since day one. He was around when I was taking all of that stuff, and he told me to stop. I didn't listen." He admitted.

"Then you don't exactly have the right to be angry at him." I told him, even if I was mad at Triple H myself.

"He doesn't believe I've changed. I have changed, even if no one else has noticed. Hell, I've changed a lot in the last few months." Randy said, and glanced down at me for a moment, and we both exchanged a look. I was taken by surprise when Randy smiled just a hint of a smile. "You have the keys right? Let's go somewhere else." I blinked.

"Like….just leave?" I asked. He nodded, and a new light filled his face.

"They wouldn't mind, they wouldn't care at all." He urged me. As nice as it sounded to just leave and go have brunch somewhere else with Randy, I knew there was still one person inside who would care,

"John would." I said quietly. Randy's face fell just a bit, but we both jumped as a new voice spoke.

"John would what?" John was there, with a curious eyebrow raised. "The hell are you two doing out here anyways?"

"We're just talking." I said. Randy looked at the ground wordlessly, and I knew from the look on John's face that he wasn't convinced with what I had told him.

"Well…why don't you both just come back inside?" He asked. Randy shook his head.

"I'm not going back in there. If you want to stay, then give me the keys so I can leave. Unless you're coming with me." Randy only looked at me while as he spoke and seemed to pretend as if John weren 't even there. I bit my lip and suddenly felt the weight of the keys in my back pocket.

"You can't just leave; Paul will be even more pissed and Shawn and Chris will feel offended." John argued. He didn't add the fact that he would feel offended as well if I left, but I knew he would be.

In my own head, I knew the rational choice would be for me to stay here. Why would I even consider leaving with Randy since this was one of his many tantrums? But be that is it may, I felt a sort of responsibility to Randy, not that I had to watch over him and babysit, but a certain loyalty. I felt that if I didn't go with him, all of that work to get our relationship to where it was now would disappear. He would never say anything about it, but I knew he would feel like I was like everyone else who didn't understand him. I did understand, and I felt a slight protectiveness towards Randy now, after all I knew.

"Well, honestly, John…Paul offended me just a bit." I murmured. John looked doubtful, and crossed his arms across his chest.

"By speaking his opinion?" He asked.

"No, he made me feel like I was some naive, ignorant girl."

"You _are_ a naive ignorant girl." Randy muttered. I ignored him and looked at John, who sighed.

"You're significantly younger than him, Lace, he's just trying to give you advice."

"I don't need life advice." I said through gritted teeth.

"What kind of advice was this? To stay away from me?" Randy mused darkly, now leaning against the car again. John flickered his gaze to look at him before settling on me again. Randy knew by the silence that his suspicion was actually right. "Can't say I'm surprised." He muttered.

"I wish everyone else would just understand that what I choose to do with my life is my decision, not anyone else's." I said, looking between Randy and John. There was an understanding in Randy's eyes. but John just looked expressionless.

"Well then, this is your decision to make right now. Are you gonna leave, or stay here?" John asked. I looked down.

"Why don't you leave with us?" I asked John, glancing at Randy. Randy said nothing.

John looked me in the eyes for a long time, and hopefulness faded to disappointment. I couldn't look away though, and I felt worse by the second because I knew what his answer was.

"I would love to come with you, Lacey." He spoke sincerely, but looked past my shoulders. "I don't think I would be very welcomed, though." Randy still said nothing, and I sighed gently. John uncrossed his arms and walked forward a bit to stand in front of me. "Be careful." He muttered half-heartedly, gently grabbing my face with his warm hand and smoothing his thumb across my cheek. "I'll see you tonight for RAW." He reluctantly drew his hand away and turned to go back inside. His touch still lingered on my face but faded as I turned to Randy, who was still as frozen as stone.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Randy asked, his voice gravelly. I shook my head, suddenly feeling tired. Not a sleepy tired, just the type of tired where you wanted to do nothing and forget everything on your mind.

"Still not hungry?" I asked Randy and he nodded. "Then where shall we go?"

He extended his hand out towards me, asking wordlessly for the keys. "I have a place." He murmured, "Do you trust me?" I nodded solemnly and he finally showed a bit of emotion with a minuscule smile. I dug the keys out from my pocket and placed it in his large hand, feeling our skin touch for a few moments. His fingers slowly wrapped around the keys, and we both got into the car together. My mind began to wonder where exactly Randy was going as he drove confidently down the road in a direction I didn't know. One thing I did know, however, was as much as I hated upsetting John, I didn't regret this choice.


	20. Chapter 19

**Lacey's POV**

Randy killed the engine as he parked in a nearly empty parking lot of a pier by one of San Diego's beaches. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for my reaction, but I didn't know what the proper reaction was. I only felt antsy the longer that he stared, and a little confused.

"So…why are we at a beach?" I asked softly as I broke the fragile silence. It's not like we had swimsuits; we were still dressed in our work-out gear.

"I thought we could talk." He murmured, but there was a slightly sad look of nostalgia in his eyes as he opened the door. I followed him out, and the breeze immediately began to slide against my skin. It felt nice. Randy was leaning against the front of the car, his arms crossed against his chest. I was captivated by his many tattoos as he spoke.

"This is the beach I took Sam to for our one year anniversary, " He mumbled, the wind almost catching and dragging his words away. I stared silently, not sure why he would want to come back here. He turned the power of his gaze on me. "You're probably wondering why I brought you here, huh. Call me crazy, but I'm not one of those people who suddenly can't go to a place where they have memories of things that have been ruined. Even though I took Sam here, it doesn't mean I'm gonna avoid this beach, or the bar in St Louis that we met at. It's just the memories that are bad, not the places."

There was something about seeing Randy like this, and hearing his deep voice gently muse that made my spine tingle. It was insane to think that in a mere matter of a few months, Randy had progressed to this. To conversing with someone like me about very personal issues of his life.

"Besides," I added to his own belief. "You can always make new memories to replace all the bad ones, and those negative memories will be replaced and forgotten." Randy's eyes stared deeply into mine, deeper than any other person had ever stared.

"Sometimes you just can't forget." He murmured lowly.

"You can always try." Somehow we were much closer to each other than before, maybe we had moved closer without even realizing it. Randy became aware of our close vicinity and scooted away just a bit from me.

"John seemed upset," Randy noted, changing the subject subtly. "Why didn't you stay with him and make him happy?" I chewed the inside of my cheek, not quite sure if I should be honest or fabricate the truth a bit.

"Well…" I hesitated. "I'd rather be with you." His gaze snapped to mine, and I was able to see the look of surprise that he gave me. I watched it change to confusion, to annoyance, and then slowly fade to curiosity.

**Randy's POV**

"Why me, when John is willing to offer you everything and more?" I asked slowly. In a way, underneath my simple question, I was asking her what it was that she saw in me when John was around and obviously had an interest in her. It's wasn't complicated; just compare a man like John to a man like me. It was obvious who the better choice was.

"Because…" She blinked quickly, flustered. "Believe it or not, Randy…I love being around you." Her voice melted as she spoke, like it was a great relief to admit. "I mean, I'm not even sure why. You always get mad at me," She chuckled, and I felt a little guilty. "But…you're different than everyone else. You never, ever judge me. You don't ask me unnecessary things that I don't want to tell you or talk about. Underneath your mood swings and anger, everything is so simple. And…honestly, it feels odd not to be around you sometimes."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like…in the ring. I feel better when you're around. It's weird." She laughed nervously.

"What about outside of the ring?" I pressed. She pursed her lips together slightly.

"I…well….I'm so used to be around you that it's just…it's not the same if you're not around to yell at me." She smiled. I laughed, once again feeling a bit guilty.

"I don't always take my anger out on you. Most of the times, you give me a reason to get mad." She rolled her eyes.

"Not always."

"It's not like I've hit you or anything, at least." I chuckled, but as soon as I said it, I noticed that her eyes had darkened. She looked away with her lips pursed, and visibly slumped a bit. "I mean, not that I ever would even think of hurting you." I murmured quickly. She didn't speak. I stood quietly, not sure what to say and wondering if I had somehow offended her. "Lacey?"

"Sorry," She whispered, and bit her lip tightly. It worried me when I could see the definite tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Lacey, what's wrong?" I asked in concern. She shook her head stubbornly, and began to walk away with her back to me and her arms now crossed more tightly over her chest, as if she needed the extra support. My longer legs allowed me to reach her quickly and I grabbed her arm as gently but forcibly as I could, to have her face me. One tear slowly slid down her cheek. "Lacey, tell me what's wrong. Was it something I said?" She wiped the tear roughly from her face with her hand, and I grabbed that hand in my own and held her by the wrist. "You know you can tell me. I'll listen, like you listened to me."

"It's really nothing," She mumbled, her voice hoarse. She sniffled, and met my eyes, her own eyes embarrassed. "I don't know why I'm crying. Sorry. Just…" She shrugged and took a steadying breath. "My ex-boyfriend, his name was Logan, he…he got angry with me one night…and he just h-hit me." My heart filled with sympathy; Lacey looked about as pitiful as a homeless and scraggly kitten on the streets. A picture of innocence destroyed by the horrors of the world.

"Oh, Lacey." I murmured, and instinctively pulled her closer to me, comforting her in a loose hug. I wanted to pull away when she hugged me tighter, but I knew she only wanted to be comforted, and as a human being who has been through my share of heartaches, I couldn't deny her that. "Lacey, I won't ever, ever hurt you like he did. No matter how mad I get, I swear I wouldn't ever even have the heart to lay a finger on you with the intent to harm you, alright Do you hear me?" She pulled away from me and nodded, and I was relieved to see that she was no longer crying.

"It happened a long time ago. It's nothing…" I grabbed her shoulders.

"It isn't nothing, Lacey. What he did was something you definitely don't deserve. You're better than that. You're worth way more than anything to ever be treated that way, and don't ever forget that." She nodded slowly, smiling, and reached up for a hug again. I stood with my arms hanging limply before they settled on her hips lightly.

"Thank you, Randy. That's something I've never told anyone, honestly. It feels better to actually get that out. And now, I won't ever have to think about it again."

"You can tell me anything, it's the least I can do." I murmured, only half listening, because I realized that this, this hug right now and the one before, was the first time Lacey and I had ever hugged. It was the first time I had hugged anyone in years, and I hated it, because it felt nice. I liked it, and that made me worry that maybe I shouldn't.

—**-**

**Lacey's POV**

After my confession with Randy at the beach, we went to lunch and back to the hotel to rest a bit before RAW. Hours always passed by quicker when you were a wrestler, however, and before we even knew it, it was time to head to the arena.

It was uplifting to finally tell someone something about your past and be able to accept it. Like setting it free from your mind and being able to move on. I never even told my closest friends about Logan, so I wasn't quite sure what made me tell Randy. It was most likely the triggering thoughts that his words put in my head. Either way, I didn't regret opening up to him. It was almost as if the more secrets we told, the closer it brought the two of us. We rode together in a comfortable silence, and a steady build of anticipation was beginning to build inside me.

This would be our first RAW together as champions; both of us were now at the top of our respective divisions. I couldn't be more excited for what was in store tonight.

"Let's find the layout." Randy murmured when we arrived at the arena. Together, we searched for the layout for the night's RAW. There was no Divas match or even a match for Randy, but the main event was a promo.

A promo that would consist of Randy and I officially making our alliance known, and sealing it with a kiss in front of a live crowd. Tonight, Randy and I were kissing again. I peeked at him cautiously, hoping he wouldn't be as mad as last time. Instead, there was an aura of calmness around him. He looked at me without any ounce of anger.

"Hm. Can't say I'm surprised. We have a lot of time to waste before then." He observed. I nodded, my throat dry. "I'll see you in a moment, you can find me after you get settled and ready." He walked away without another word, and without a glare. I wondered why he wasn't as angry this time, and also wondered why I felt almost delighted for the night's plans. My emotions were once again frazzled, and I constantly had to stop myself from imagining how the climatic kiss tonight would play out. Would it be longer than the last, or shorter? Would it be more passionate, or less? Better or worse? I couldn't ever imagine how it could be worse, and that was when I realized that there was something beginning to sprout in my heart. The beginning of emotions that consisted of adoration, lust, and love.


	21. Chapter 20

**Lacey's POV**

I walked with a hasty pace, not sure what suddenly came over me. I was eager to get to Randy, maybe hoping that spending time with him would help me through the promo tonight.

"Woah, woah, woah," Someone reached their arm out and I ran into into, causing me to stop. John looked at me with wide eyes. "Where's the fire at?" I pressed my lips into a tight smile.

"John." I said in a calmly controlled voice. He looked me up and down.

"You have new ring-gear," He observed. "You usually only wear pink or blue." It was such a small detail that I was surprised he even noticed. The deep ruby sparkles was something that caught my eyes every time I looked down, and it was dazzling.

"Yeah. Out with the old and in with the new, I guess." I said impatiently. John hesitated and took his hat off, scratching his head. We were right outside the men's locker room, and I glanced at it desperately, knowing Randy was somewhere inside. "Can you do me a favor and go and get Randy?" I asked him. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and instead smiled somewhat sadly.

"Sure." He agreed, though his voice was brisk. I instantly regretted my shortness with him as he turned and entered the locker room. My guilt continued to grow as I waited all alone.

**Randy's POV**

I laced up my boots, ignoring the sounds of the many men around me as they chatted and changed for the night. A few had already wrestled and were showering but most were getting ready, like myself. As always, I was given my own corner of space where I was left in solitude.

"Randy!" I turned my head at the sound of my name being called and the locker room quieted as eyes turned to look at me. John was shouldering his way through to me with empty eyes. "Lacey's waiting on you." Without another word, he turned back around and walked away. I continued to earn stares as I walked through the crowd, and to the door. Sure enough, there she was, leaning against the wall opposite of the door. The first thing that caught my eye was the striking red color of her attire against her tan skin. Her brown eyes were worried.

"I think I've upset John…" She murmured as soon as she saw me. She winced as the door slammed behind me.

"He didn't look too pleased." I told her and she sighed. I wondered briefly what happened between them before I decided I didn't care.

"We match." She said suddenly, her voice nonchalant, and when I looked down I noticed the accents on my wrestling trunks were red, the very same red as her outfit.

"Huh, I guess we do." I agreed. She crossed her arms and looked up at me expectantly.

"Do you want to go somewhere and figure out what we're going to say?"

"I don't think we need to plan out what we're going to say," I said. "Most of the greatest promos happened without a script, and to be honest, I'm bad when it comes to remembering lines. But we can go somewhere; I think we have about thirty minutes." She nodded thoughtfully.

"Fair enough," She said. "Any ideas?"

"'Outside the back of the arena." I said instantly. A new light shined in her eye.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." She turned and led the way to the exit, and I watched her long hair lightly hit her back every time she took a step. It was like a long waterfall that plunged down to the small of her back, and her swaying hips reminded me of a tree bending in the wind.

Once outside in the refreshing air, we stood together in an united silence. For once in a long time, I felt as if I wasn't alone in an absence of sound; I was sharing the silence with Lacey. We didn't have to speak, but that was okay.

"So…you come out first, and speak, and then you introduce me out?" She spoke up after about ten minutes of us standing together and looking at the city. I nodded and looked down at her smooth face and wide eyes that resembled a doll.

"And then we wing it." I said. She nodded back, looking nervous.

"Hopefully I won't freeze up." She murmured. I patted her back and reached for the door that would lead us back inside.

"You'll be fine," I reassured her and pulled on the door. It wouldn't budge and I frowned, turning my full attention to it. I gave another tug, but it still wouldn't open. Lacey turned now with a frown and watched as I tried pulling yet again.

"Are you sure it's not one of those 'push' instead of 'pull' doors?" She asked after watching me pull with all of my strength. I shoved against the door but it still wouldn't open. "Are you sure you're trying?"

"Okay, why don't you give it a shot, Olympian." I snapped, stepping back. She ignored my outburst and simply grabbed onto the handle, giving it a fierce pull. When nothing happened, she tried to push, which still resulted in nothing. Turning back to me, I could see panic beginning to rise on her face. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." I groaned.

"Okay, okay, so we're locked out of the arena," She began, and I could tell it was taking a lot to keep her calm. "Let's just get in through the back way that we always enter through." I was shaking my head.

"They lock that up once the show starts." She blinked rapidly, and bit her lip.

"Then…then…we can just…go around to the front entrance. I mean, they'll let us in. They know us." She suggested.

"Do you have any idea how many people will be there?" She glared.

"Well then, Randy Orton, what do you suggest we do? Break down the door? We have maybe ten minutes before our promo, and we need to get inside right now in order to be ready for it. The front entrance is all I can think of, and unless you have any brilliant ideas, I'm going through the front." She pushed past me and started to make her way around the front, towards the bright lights and noise of people and fans outside the arena. I followed after her begrudgingly knowing I didn't have much of a choice. "Mr. McMahon is going to be pissed when he hears about this one," She muttered under her breath as she walked briskly.

"Maybe he'll congratulate us for our quick thinking," I said sarcastically, and she chuckled. As soon as we rounded the corner and stepped into the light, nearly a dozen people who were standing around recognized us and rushed to surround us, asking for autographs and looking for a camera that might be following us. We ignored them and pushed on, but it only got worse when we entered the actually arena, and were face to face with the merch stand and all of it's buyers.

"Go to the left!" I tried to say to Lacey over the screaming and yelling, though I could barely hear myself. I pushed my way through, but realized a few steps in that I had lost the much smaller woman, and saw her surrounded by a group of men and women. She was peering around frantically, and I pushed my way through the crowd again and grabbed her hand.

"Excuse us, please," I tried to say to the fans, but they, naturally, didn't listen. I pulled Lacey through the people and to my side, before I wrapped an arm around her waist and held her against me as I walked, effectively keeping her with me. We finally reached security while still being followed by a throng of people.

"Can you led us backstage, please?" I asked, and the two men nodded. One of them stopped to block off the fans, while the other guided us quickly to the backstage setting, where Lacey and I collectively breathed a figurative sigh of relief.

"Thanks…" Lacey thanked my once we were alone. "I couldn't see anything and I was getting groped by the men..and a few women." She frowned and I chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get to the Gorilla Position, I think we might have less than three minutes before we go on." She nodded, and we once again headed briskly in the direction where we were supposed to be. I was handed my title, and I heard my music play only seconds after we arrived.

"I'm never listening to your suggestions ever again," Lacey said just before I left. I chuckled and had to straighten my face before I walked out into the bright lights and screams of the fans, some of which I had just seen in the arena hallways.

**Lacey's POV**

Randy's scent still lingered in the air even after he was gone, and it was oddly comforting as I waited alone. I realized I had come to know and recognize his cologne, and I associated the smell with positive thoughts of him. Despite the reassuring smell that hung in the air, my nerves only got more restless even after I was waiting safely in the Gorilla Position because I knew what was going to happen before the end of the show, and I couldn't slow down time.

Randy looked golden in the ring as he spoke of his win against John and the start of a new era. The fans were cheering and hanging onto his every word, much like myself, but I grew even more attentive, if that were possible, when he added me into the equation.

"I am the most lethal superstar backstage, and no one can hold a candle to me. I can take on anyone and beat any of the other champions backstage if that was what I desired. I could be the Intercontinental champion, or the United States champion if I wanted to. But, one thing I could not be…is the Women's champion." The cheers were louder, and full of anticipation. "But there's someone else who can, and together, we're unstoppable " Randy stopped in the dead center of the ring, and faced the stage. "So, why don't you come out and join me?" I swallowed and readjusted the title on my shoulder as my entrance music played, and I headed out into the arena.

As always, I morphed into a character, and stepped out into the spotlight where I shined the brightest. Filled with immense adrenaline, I raised my title high above my head, and my eyes shot straight to the ring where he was. Now, as I walked down the ramp, still holding the title above my head, I knew I had everyone's attention, but it didn't make me nervous that thousands of people we were watching me live, and even more people were watching me from a TV screen. However, the fact that the only thing that Randy was watching and possibly thinking about at this very moment was me, made hundreds of butterflies sprout in my stomach.

I blocked my thoughts and emotions out and let my performer's instincts take over as I entered the ring to catcalls and whistles mixed in with the steady cheering. I wasn't too sure, but I was almost positive that there was an approving and impressed gleam in Randy's eyes. I smiled as I stood in front of him, and even after my music stopped, the crowd still cheered.

"Take a look…at the present and the future." Randy said once the cheers died down a bit, before they started up again. I was impressed; Randy wasn't known for his promos, but he was doing exceptionally well. "We are pure domination, and alone we're invincible But together," He stopped, and reached his arm out towards me. His hand grabbed my face very gently, gentler than I expected from Randy, and he caressed my face as if I were a prize. "we're unstoppable " He finished, and dropped his mic, making my heart rate speed up.

Everything began to happen too fast, because time never slowed down, and suddenly Randy was leaning down towards me with one hand on my hip and the other behind my neck. Our lips meshed together as the crowd reached a crescendo, making me smile into the kiss. I realized Randy was smiling back, and almost couldn't believe it. I broke the kiss with a gasp when he reached down and lifted me into the air, and I locked my legs around his waist to help me with my balance. He leaned down again, and as we kissed, he held onto me with one hand and raised his title with the other. I did the same, and the show ended with us interlocked as one, holding up our titles to represent our status.

**Randy's POV**

I felt oddly numb as Lacey and I headed backstage. I wasn't sure how great our promo was, or what I was even feeling myself. I was in my body but not really acknowledging anything at all. Vince was waiting backstage, as he always was, and that was when I knew from the look alone on his face that we had done well.

"Excellent, excellent job well done." He told us. He could have said anything, but the look on his face was what was really telling.

"I'm surprised he didn't find out about our stint before the promo." Lacey said in relief when we walked away.

"We could have drove a car into the side of the arena, and he wouldn't care as long as we made money off of it. Maybe he did hear about it, but he thought it added more attention and made him more money. That's all he cares about." I said. Lacey stopped outside the Diva's locker room.

"I'll meet you at the car; are we driving tonight or tomorrow morning?" She asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Let's rest tonight." She nodded her head, and I went to grab my things and change.

—**-**

Lacey was uncharacteristically quiet on the way to the hotel. There were times when she didn't speak, but something else was off, and I wasn't sure what it was. Once we reached our room, she dropped her bag and immediately began rummaging through it with her forehead creased. I went and sat on the small love seat, debating whether or not I should speak.

"You have got to be kidding me." She said to herself before letting out a groan. I turned and looked at her, and she had a hand pressed against her forehead.

"…You okay?" I asked slowly.

"Far from it." She stood up and paced the room with a look of sickness. Finally she sat down right on the floor with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Her eyes shut, and her lips were pressed together into a line. I watched her in confusion.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked, growing slightly concerned.

"I just got my period." She stated, and I was thrown off by her bluntness. I couldn't decipher what the reason behind her sudden illness was, however, and why she was sharing this information with me.

"Don't you have…pills..that you can take so you won't feel sick?" I asked her, dumb-founded. She shook her head, and her expression grew more pained as she moved her hands to her stomach.

"That's not the point; I'm out of tampons."

"I'm sure…you could just…ask one of the other Divas if they have some.." I said, growing more and more uncomfortable and wishing I had never said anything at all. She snorted.

"They all went out to party. And you know it's odd- I'm the only one out of all of them who get it at a different time. None of them have theirs the same time as me because our flows-"

"Okay!" I cut her off, shaking my head. "Okay, okay, so just go and buy some." I suggested.

"I can't go like this, I can't even straighten up because of cramps." There was nothing but pain written on her face, and she blinked her brown eyes pleadingly. "Randy, do you think you could do me a favor?" I groaned and rubbed the temple of my forehead.

"I am not buying you tampons." I said immediately.

"You owe be after tonight. If you hadn't of suggested that we go outside, we wouldn't have been locked out of the arena."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I argued.

"Please?"

"No!" I insisted. Her expression turned to deep desperation.

"Please, Randy; I'll pay you back. I'll….I'll never get on your nerves ever again. I'll carry your bags everywhere and drive you and pay for our food, just please?" She begged. I groaned and buried my face in my hands, before I stood up wordlessly and grabbed the car keys. Her face brightened instantly. "Thank you! Thank-"

"Yeah, yeah." I cut her off, but she smiled anyways. I sighed deeply once in the hotel hallway and leaned against the door in exasperation, not believing that I was going out to a drug store to buy tampons.


	22. Chapter 21

**Randy's POV**

The small and ghostly drug store that was a little way down the road from our hotel was nearly empty, to my relief. In my few trips to grocery stores and drug stores, I had often passed by the aisle containing feminine products, but I had never before ventured down it; I never had a reason to.

My steps were reluctant, but I figured the faster I picked out a box of tampons, the faster I would be out of here. There was only one problem; I couldn't tell the difference between any of the packages. There were different brands, colors, package sizes, and pictures, and I was more lost than a freshman on their first day in high school.

It was passing the six minute mark when I finally grabbed a box of tampons with a line of pearls on the front. The box seemed to burn in my hand and I held it unnaturally as I made my way to the register, keeping my head down. It seemed like it took a million steps to reach the register, and there was an older woman waiting there. I tried to determine if that was a good thing or bad thing. She smiled knowingly and took the box from me. As she began to ring the item up, I spotted the candy bars and grabbed two of the chocolate ones. She smiled as I put them on the counter.

"How considerate. She's a very lucky woman; such acts of chivalry are rare these days." I chuckled uncomfortably.

"Yeah."

I paid hastily, and grabbed the bag from her quickly and bid her a farewell. Now holding a bag rather than a bold box of womanly products, I felt more at ease, but still not comfortable in the slightest.

—

**John's POV**

The clubs were not in my taste and too packed tonight, so I decided to head back to the hotel earlier than normal. Chris Jericho and a few of the other guys joined me, and we walked through the hallway of the hotel together. Chris was louder than the rest of us, mostly because he was borderline drunk, and I tried to keep him quiet to the best of my ability. It wasn't working.

"Do my eyes deceive me, boys, or is that Randy just ahead of us?" One of them noticed. I knew he was right as soon as I saw Randy turn the corner and walk towards us. He spotted us after we saw him, and his eyes seemed to drop visibly. Of course, he didn't look happy to see us, but then again, when did he ever?

"Hey, it's Randy!" Chris yelled enthusiastically. Randy slowed down begrudgingly when we met each other in the middle.

"Late night snack run?" JBL asked, gesturing down to the bag in Randy's hand. He suddenly looked embarrassed and nodded a bit.

"Yeah, yeah. I should be getting back to my room. Good night to you." He said hurriedly before he continued walking. But I already saw what was in the bag, and it wasn't a snack run; Randy didn't use tampons unless he was hiding a huge secret.

As we continued walking, I walked with silent steps and a loud mind, until I was eventually alone and on my way to my own empty room. It was finally hitting me how close Randy and Lacey actually were. Their relationship sneaked up on me and seemed to appear out of nowhere; I never even expected it. Maybe because I knew Randy had his walls up so high, and they had always been so unbreakable. Now I could see they weren't as indestructible and foolproof as I thought.

—**-**

**Randy's POV**

A great relief filled me when I reached our hotel door, but I also felt aged. It wasn't a feeling I enjoyed as I knocked on our door. Lacey didn't keep me waiting and opened the door almost immediately. She smiled a bit timidly at me and didn't even falter when I didn't smile back. I handed her the bag wordlessly but she let it drop to the ground. I wasn't expecting the embrace I suddenly received as she threw her arms around my neck.

"Thank you so much, Randy. I really owe you." She said gratefully, and suddenly, my trip didn't seem so bad.

"No worries." I mumbled. She smiled and stepped back before reaching down and snatching the bag off the ground. Her fingers were reaching for the obvious item, but she stopped when she noticed the candy bars. For a long moment she only stared, before she looked up at me with a look of surprised happiness.

"Are these for me?" She asked, pulling the two Kit-Kats out. I nodded nonchalantly She shook her head. "Oh, Randy. What am I going to do with you…" She seemed to say to herself, before she placed the candy back into the bag. The way in which she pulled out the box of tampons with ease was something unknown to me, and it made me think if how different we really were despite our similarities. Come to think of it, we weren't really that much alike at all.

I walked over and sat on the couch almost mindlessly, because my mind was elsewhere. Lacey and I were two different people. She was as radiant as the sun itself; so warm and fiery, but able to be beautiful and delicate like the sunrises and sunsets. I was more like a moon. I had cracks and craters in me, and I was rarely seen. I go through cycles when I'm there and when I like to disappear completely. But we both knew what it felt like to hurt, and it was refreshing to know that I wasn't the only one. Everyone else in this business acted so superior but Lacey wasn't afraid to be vulnerable sometimes, and that was an act of immense bravery in itself. It brought me back down to Earth myself.

"Here," Lacey said, and I jumped slightly, not hearing her come up beside the couch. She plopped down beside me, now in sweats, and handed me one of the candy bars. I took it, and we ate them in silence. "I'm just going to apologize now for putting you through that. I can't thank you enough."

"I said it wasn't a problem at all." I reassured her. She smiled, already done with the chocolate. I still had two sticks left.

"I think our promo went well." She murmured, pulling her knees to her chest, and finally faced me, looking a bit timid.

"The crowd responded well." I agreed. Lacey nodded slowly, and twisted her body around to where she was now facing me, instead of the TV in front of the love-seat we were on.

"Do you ever stop to realize our job is just a little odd?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to resemble an innocently curious child.

"That's all that it is- a job. We're doing a job, like actors and actresses." I said, wondering if she was referring to our kiss. She looked down.

"But sometimes it's more than a job." She murmured lightly.

"Sure," I amended. A tired smile appeared on her face.

"Let's find a movie on TV." She suggested, dropping our previous conversation casually and reaching for the remote. Through the few choices we had of TV channels, we chose an action-drama, and it was right in the middle of the main action. We watched it side by side in silence.

"I didn't see that-" I turned to look at Lacey when the movie reached the climax, to discover her already asleep with her head resting against the arm of the love-seat. "…coming." I finished softly, turning back to the TV.

For a long time I merely sat, still and quiet, wondering if she would maybe wake up again, but after around ten minutes, I knew she wasn't going to. I let out a long sigh before I stood with great ease, and stood over her sleeping body. Annoyance was beginning to build inside of me, but it strangely dissolved at the sight of her peaceful face. The stressed lines on her forehead were gone, and her eyes and jaw were relaxed. There was no way I could even find it in myself to wake her. I hesitated for a long time, before I very gently slid my arm underneath her and lifted her up into the air.

From prior experience, I knew Lacey was a deep sleeper, and she didn't wake at all once I had her cradled in my arms, and I carried her with ease over to her bed. It took nothing at all to settle her underneath the thick covers. She rolled to her side, her eyes still shut, and I watched her for a long moment before I turned out the lights.

After all, it wasn't my responsibility to wake her up.

—

**Lacey's POV**

My eyes scrunched together and I opened my eyes to the sound of a loud ringing. I sat up and rested on my elbows and heard Randy groaning from his bed only a foot away from mine. He rubbed his eyes and picked up his ringing phone, answering it.

"Hello?" His voice was rough and considerably deep from sleepiness. He blinked groggily, and became more awake as he listened to the caller. It seemed to be a one-sided conversation. I was fully awake by the time he said goodbye.

"Who was it?" I asked curiously, sitting up completely. Randy rubbed his eyes once more before he threw the covers back and stood up.

"Head of talent relations. We have a busy day." I sighed tiredly, but I knew it was coming. We were champions now.

"As in what?"

"We have to get to to Nevada…soon. Then we have a radio interview," He paused and eyed me warily. I remembered the past interview and grimaced before he continued, " and then we're the main event at the house show; I'm facing John and you're at ringside."

"Well…I guess this is the perks of being the best." I mumbled. He chuckled, now grabbing a fresh pair of clothes.

"They never once said it would be easy."


	23. Chapter 22

**Lacey's POV**

Years seemed to pass, but in reality, it had only been a couple of months. It was growing a lot colder now, getting closer to the holidays. Randy always said it only passed by faster for us because we were so busy.

If someone were to ask me about Randy, I would know exactly what to say. As we drove through the night and to the next city, I watched him wordlessly and imagined what my exact words would be. Randy Orton was more than the man that everyone saw on television. He was more than the quietly brooding man I saw backstage, and more than the man who would occasionally smile every now and then at me, and normally me only. Randy was the man who remembered what my favorite coffee was and always bought it for me without me asking. He never complained about my taste in music, or the times when I talked insistently on the road. When I ranted or gave my opinion about something, he would calmly listen before stating his own thoughts.

At times it was almost as if I were spending my days with a mythical creature. So many myths about this creature, and so many made-up stories about the horrors of the so-called terror were all actually lies. I had a feeling I was the only person in this business who had ever really seen Randy calmly debating the world's matters, or sleeping on the airplane or passenger's seat, or seeing his focused demeanor right before a match. It seemed like every day I was rewarded with seeing another piece of the real Randall Keith Orton, and it was all building together into one puzzle.

I was caught when Randy glanced casually over at me. "What are you staring at?" His voice was gravelly, and deep.

"Nothing." I said, turning back to the road.

"Why so quiet?" He pressed.

"Just thinking, is all." I murmured. "How long do you think we'll be champions?" Lines appeared on Randy's forehead and he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel.

"It's been, what, three months? I don't know. The crowd still loves it; I think they'd riot if we lost the tiles." It wasn't an arrogant evaluation, but the honest truth; the fans went absolutely crazy over Randy and I. Never would I have thought our angle would get over like this.

"It's been insane the last few months." I murmured. "I'm afraid that soon the fans will hate me because I'm becoming this major babyface diva who always wins and never loses cleanly." Randy shrugged.

"I don't think that will happen," He quickly shot down my doubts before he looked at me with a half-smirk. "How could they hate you?" His words were so confident that I found I could almost believe him, but not entirely.

I had become so big so fast, like a child growing up from the perspective of a parent, and it was all still so hard to believe Interviewers, radio stations, and magazines were naming me the next "Trish Stratus" and the world was holding their breath, just waiting for me to make a mistake. I hoped my balance would remain strong.

—**-**

"Nice match; you looked amazing!" Kelly Kelly told me as I came backstage, grinning. I had just beat Melina on RAW; a match that was added to my growing lists of wins.

"As always." Mickie added.

"When does she not look amazing?" Candice said, smiling in agreement at Mickie. I laughed.

"Stop that; you're all too nice." I told them.

"Well, that title has become one with you in such a short time. Pretty soon it won't look right on someone else." Mickie said. I shook my head.

"No, that's not true." I disagreed hastily. They smiled and said nothing, and I wondered why they stopped until I was sure I felt someone come up behind, and turned to see Randy. He smiled slightly, down at me, before looking politely at Mickie and Kelly.

"We'll catch you later, babe. You coming to the club tonight?" Candice asked eagerly as she and the girls slowly began to retreat. There was somewhat of a knowing look in their eyes, like they knew a big secret that I had no such clue of. I ignored it and directed my attention on their question.

"Erhm….maybe. I'll see."

"C'mon, you haven't been out yet. You're champion; you need to come out!"

"Maybe." I said again, unwavering. They smiled and walked away, and I only turned to face Randy after I watched them walk away for good. I sighed and he raised an eyebrow. "Backstage politics are so hard." My complaint made him laugh, and I crossed my arms. "It is! They're complimenting me, but I know sooner or later they're going to start hating me and talking behind my back, if they aren't already. It's like a fake politeness whenever I talk to any of these women, and some of the men at times."

"Paul told me something once before we started the Evolution angle, and I've kept it with me ever since," He told me while stretching his arms, and I remembered he had a match soon. "None of us are in this business to be friends; we're in it for ourselves. People are going to hate you. But does that really matter? Do you want to be the most popular, or the most successful?" I sighed again.

"I know. But…having people hate you isn't good in general." Randy smirked slightly.

"I've dealt with it long enough," He pointed out. "Look where I am now."

"People don't hate you…as much…anymore. You should come out to party with us after and see for yourself." I asked, and he gave me a look that told me I should know better.

"Lacey, we've been all through this before." He was beginning to head to the curtain, and walked backwards while he talked to me. The WWE title glistened as the lights touched the surface.

"It won't hurt, Randy. I promise; one night of a little fun won't kill you." I argued. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll think about it. I'm not making any agreements yet, though."

"Good luck, champ." I smiled teasingly, and he rolled his eyes while making a face before turning his back on me. I knew Randy most likely wouldn't come out tonight, but I hoped that he would. There really wasn't a reason why he couldn't join us.

—**-**

"So, did you make up your mind?" Candice asked me in the Women's locker room. Randy had just won his match, and all around me were the Divas getting ready for the night club. The air was heavy with perfume and they were all reapplying their makeup and redoing their hair. I was still in my ring gear.

"Um…" I hesitated, and Candice made a visible plead with her face. She was in the process of getting dressed and was only in her underwear.

"Please? You haven't been out with all of us in the longest time! Just come and have a little fun and relax." Her argument didn't make a bad case, and the idea itself was so tempting.

"Okay, alright. I'll come." Candice let out a squeal and clapped her hands.

"Great! C'mon, come get ready!" She said, reaching down to me and standing me up, before leading me over to the rest of the girls. I only had one dress with me, a black strapless bandeau. It didn't take me too long to get ready, and by the time I was done, everyone else was as well. We all met in the hallway, and there was a substantial amount of people. As we stood talking together, getting directions and figuring out who would carpool with who, I scanned through the people but didn't see Randy. I don't know what I was expecting.

I stood silently, looking behind me at the empty part of the hallway, when the men's locker room door opened and out came Randy. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"Randy!" I called quickly without even thinking, and hurried over to him despite my heels. He stopped and sighed, rubbing his eyes and resembling a tired father who had been asked to take his daughter to the park one too many times. "You already know what I'm going to ask. Just come. Please?"

"Lacey, this isn't my type of thing, okay? I'm perfectly fine with you, but everyone else is just too much, and at a nightclub? There will be fans and drunks, and honestly, I don't want to put up with it." I narrowed my eyes. He always said the same thing, but I knew what the underlying truth was, and my annoyance level was peeking. Randy was never going to get any better if he didn't take certain steps. I turned abruptly on my heel. "Lacey…" Randy tried to call, but I kept walking back to the group.

"Randy not coming?" Chris asked as I stood next to him with my back to Randy, and I shook my head curtly to his question. Nobody looked surprised.

"Why not?" John asked. I rolled my eyes, feeling the anger travel up my chest.

"Because. He never wants to do anything or associate with anyone because he has trust issues and can't seem to get over his cheating wife and divorce." I hissed. All the eyes that had been on me now shifted to somewhere behind me, and that was when I realized what I had said. My heart nearly stopped and I turned to see Randy frozen. There was nothing but silence, and as I watched the hurt on Randy's face switch to hatred in a split-second, I felt immense guilt trickling through my veins and pressing in on my chest. "Randy!" I called, but he had already turned and was walking away briskly. I had to run to catch up to him and grab onto his shoulder.

"Don't you touch me, Lacey. Don't talk to me. Don't even look me. Turn around and go back; I don't want to see you or hear anything that you have to say."

"Randy, I didn't mean…I just-I want you to get better and get over it and you're never going to get past it if you just hold it in and never move on.." My heart was beating fast and my shaky voice trailed of. Randy stopped and turned to look at me. Anger was something that I was used to seeing on his face, but this new wounded look that was mixed with betrayal and loathe towards me was hard to take.

"I've never told anyone else about this because it was the hardest thing in my life I've ever had to get over. It meant that I wasn't good enough for the person I had opened up and told everything to. That meant I'm not good enough for anyone. They don't have the right to my life story." His words were sharp pricks of anger, and I watched him helplessly.

"I..I-I'm sorry, it just…it just slipped, I was angry-"

"I've never let anything that you told me slip out of my mouth." He cut off my pathetic stuttering with harsh words and I winced.

"Randy-" He turned without waiting, and I knew there was no way I was going to make him stop and listen to anything I had to say now; there was nothing I could do. I walked with slow and uneasy steps back to the group of wide-eyed wrestlers and Divas. They stopped talking when I reached them, and their curious stares only made me feel guiltier.

"Well. Let's just go and relax and unwind." Chris murmured. Everyone made sure they knew who's car they were going in, and I tried to separate from them so I could leave on my own, but Chris draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me back. "You can ride with John, okay sweetheart?" I almost protested, until I realized I had no way of getting back to the hotel on my own; Randy had already left. I nodded, and Chris passed me off to John, who gave me a warm side-hug.

"Don't worry about Randy; he'll come around. People were gonna find out sooner or later." He reassured me as we walked into the parking lot.

"Yeah." I said weakly, but somehow this time felt different. This anger seemed worse than any time before. I sat in the backseat of John's rental, next to Candice and Mike the Miz.

"Just forget about Randy and have fun tonight." She said, patting my wrist comfortingly. It seemed impossible to take any heed to their words. All I could do was replay my foolish words in my head, and the look on his face after I said them. I messed up this time.


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: I own nothing in this story other than Lacey Reyes, but I hope that's kind of obvious by now. (I wish I owned Randy) Please review; I need critique and opinions of the story so I can now write the next chapters, so let me know what you think! xx **

**Lacey's POV**

As the night went on I found myself clinging to this hope that maybe Randy would get over this incident like every other time he had gotten mad at me. A part of me, however, knew that I had truly hurt Randy this time, and it left me with a prickling sensation all throughout my body. Everyone else sat around me in the club, drinking and exchanging stories, but I sat with my head resting on my hands and my elbows on the table. John made valiant efforts to get me involved in the conversations but it wasn't working.

"Someone get this girl a drink." Chris finally said, frowning at me after he downed a shot. I chuckled, shaking my head, but Candice and Kelly were already standing up.

"We were just about to head to the bar." Kelly smiled. "We'll grab you a little something." They walked away before I could say otherwise. I looked back down at the table.

"You know," John spoke up after taking a drink. "I knew the first moment that I saw Lacey that she would be a champion." I looked at him quickly, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. This definitely wouldn't help me out in terms of popularity in the locker room. But maybe I was wrong, because as I looked around the table all I saw were smiles and bright eyes watching John. He looked at me now with a glint in his blue eyes, still so colorful even in the darkness of the nightclub. "I mean, of course she was always beautiful, but she was also just so real. She had so much potential."

"The first time I saw Lacey, I thought she had a lot to learn. I wasn't too sure she'd last. But she's been through so much and it's almost like watching a daughter grow up." Chris grinned at me from across the table.

"She was always so nice and helpful backstage to everyone," Mickie added. "Still is."

"Thank you all." I murmured, and they smiled once again, before JBL brought up the upcoming Tribute to the Troops trip that would be in a matter of weeks. I hit John underneath the table and he looked at me in confusion.

"What?" He murmured.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered. He smiled.

"Sometimes we just need to be reminded how great we are and how others perceive us." While his logic and words were sweet, I wanted to scream at him and tell him that I wasn't feeling sorry for myself. I was regretting letting my anger and foolishness get the best of me and expose something that someone important to me had entrusted me with. But John wouldn't understand that, so I merely shook my head. Candice and Kelly came back with drinks in tow, and Candice placed one down by my hand.

"Thanks…." I murmured. She smiled brightly at me.

"No problem." Everyone else was drinking again, and my problems obviously weren't going to go away for awhile, so maybe it was better to forget about them for a moment. It was comforting to know John would always take care of me if I got out of hand, but I wasn't planning to. I took a sip of the dark drink, and with every drink that I took, the more relaxed I felt.

By my third drink, I was beginning to feel that maybe Randy would forgive me after all. Maybe. John was leaning against me, and I felt his arm go around my shoulder. The stories were becoming funnier and my problems seemed less significant. Maybe they didn't matter at all.

—**-**

I awoke to bright light and a dry mouth in a room that seemed familiar. I tried to recollect the events from last night, but the only thing I could remember was drinking at the nightclub. How did I get here?

The room I had been in before had two beds, but there was no other bed than the one I was in now, so that meant I wasn't in my own room. I was reminded of Randy, and wondered where he was, before it came back to me like a head rush. There was a reason why he was mad at me, I had said something, but it was slightly foggy.

I stood up slowly from the bed, and noticed I had on my dress from last night. Classy. I shook my head slightly as a throb entered it. On the floor, there was a pair of men's jean shorts.

"Lace?" I jumped and turned behind me to see John standing at the doorway of the bedroom, as if the shorts weren't enough to tell me that this was his hotel room. He had on a plain light grey t-shirt that complimented his body, and sweats, along with an amused smile.

"Can you just tell me how the hell I got here and what happened last night?" I asked after I got over my momentary shock. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"No need to worry; you got a little…drunk." He chuckled, and I wondered if I had made a fool of myself. "I didn't know your hotel room number or where your key was, or if Randy was there, so I just brought you here and slept on the couch."

Despite how, well, shitty I felt at the moment, I suddenly felt a wave of innocent affection for the man standing in front of me. John was probably the kindest person I had ever met in my life. He had a heart of gold. It would have been beyond easy to take advantage of me last night in my apparent state, but of course, John would never do such a thing. I swallowed, which was hard to do.

"It's funny, I don't remember drinking that much." John shrugged.

"I didn't think you did, but I wasn't counting. It affects people differently." I nodded, but it was back to worrying about the same issue I had before I was drunk; Randy.

"So…I remember I made Randy angry…but…" John suddenly looked sympathetic.

"You told everyone about his wife and divorce." I bit my lip and felt my stomach sink, or maybe that was the alcohol. Either way I didn't feel too great.

"I need to see him." I murmured, stepping past John.

"Maybe you shouldn't," He protested, quickly following at my heels.

"I need to get my stuff anyways; we have to travel to the next city for the house show tonight." There were still blankets on the couch, meaning John had just gotten up too. My bag with ring gear was sitting by the door and I dug through it to grab my room key. John followed me out the door wordlessly, and I had a feeling he would follow me no matter what I said. I ignored him and walked as quick as I could to my room.

"Randy?" I said as I knocked loudly. "Randy, open the door, please." I waited a few moments before I slid the card in and opened the door. The room appeared empty and all that was there was my bag. I don't know what else I expected.

"He must've left last night." John murmured as he followed me in. I walked to my bag, crest-fallen, and dug out a sweater and jeans before packing my stuff. John waited patiently for me as I changed and quickly fixed my makeup and hair situation, and once I was done, he already had his things with him.

"I thought you might need a ride to the next town." He said lightly. I sighed and nodded.

"I'm pretty sure I won't be traveling with Randy anymore, at least not for awhile…"

"It's gonna be okay. Come on; let's go." He ushered me out the door and we were on our way. Thankfully the next city in Alabama wasn't that far.

—**-**

Vince nor the creative team knew of mine and Randy's issue yet, but that didn't matter tonight at the house show. I only had a tag team match with Mickie against Beth and Melina. It was over quickly.

I looked for Randy backstage, but I couldn't find him anywhere. The show ended a lot faster than it normally did, at least that's what it felt like to me, and somehow Randy had managed to slip past me and wrestle without me finding him before. I was beyond frustrated.

John had taken me to pick up my own rental car earlier in the day, and I pulled in alone at the hotel. So much had suddenly changed over a few stupid words, and it reminded me how powerful words could be. You could change relationships with only a string of words; a different combination of 26 letters, and a subject, verb, maybe a prepositional phrase or adverb here, but that was it. Words. We as people give them meaning. I rarely regretted anything in life, but this was something different. If I could take it back, I would.

As I was just sitting there in the slightly ringing silence of the car, I couldn't believe my change of luck. Randy was getting out of his own car right in front of me. I was stupid enough to just stare for a moment, before I realized I still needed to talk to him, and I hurriedly got out of my car. Randy was parked much closer to the front entrance though, and he was already inside by the time I was halfway across the parking lot.

I had to walk into the hotel calmly and tried not panic when I didn't see him right away. He couldn't have gotten far; this hotel had only two levels. I rounded the corner that had the elevators, and began to wonder if I had any luck at all when I saw the elevator just closing with Randy inside. Maybe this was karma. I frantically pressed the up button on the other elevator.

"C'mon,_ cm'on_." I grumbled impatiently before it dinged open lazily. I pressed the 2nd level immediately and waited for the ascend. The doors finally opened after it dinged lazily to level 2, and I saw Randy walking tall with his back to me and his bag in hand. "Randy!" I called, not caring if any of the hotels occupants heard me. Randy didn't stop and I tried to determine if he didn't hear me or if he was merely ignoring me. Either way, he wasn't going to slip away this time.

I power-walked down the straight and narrow hallway, keeping my eye on Randy. He stopped at a room and opened the door, and I knew for sure that he was ignoring me. I began to run.

"Randy! Just wait, please!" I called again. I slammed into the door just as he slammed it shut. I let out a sound that could only be labeled as frustration and leaned against the door. "Randy, please open the door. Please, just please." My voice was desperate and I had to force myself to calm down. Just as I was reaching a level of serenity, I heard the door unlock and felt my heart rate increase once more. Randy glared at me, only opening part of the door.

"What?" I ignored the venom in his voice.

"I'm. Sorry." I said genuinely, looking him in the eyes. "It was a stupid, stupid mistake and…_I'm sorry_. I can't say it enough." My words were a ramble, and I was hoping that with each word I would see some kind of waver in Randy's expression, but I found none. There was no change.

"What's done is done." Was all he said, and I didn't like it. It seemed like he was talking about what had happened, but also everything between us was now done. He shut the door on my face again and I slammed into once again too late.

"Randy! Just stop and listen to me please." It seemed pointless to stay if he wasn't going to listen, but I hoped that maybe he would still hear anything that I said now. "Randy, what I said was out of anger, and I know, it was a really stupid and bitchy thing to do. I wasn't thinking. But please don't be mad at me now. Just…" I was leaning my back against the door, waiting to see if he would open it again. It seemed more unlikely as the seconds ticked. "I know I made you feel as low as Sam did all those years ago, but I don't think your as worthless as she obviously did. It was a mistake. You're a valuable person, Randy. You mean something to me." My words got softer towards the end. I looked down at the speckled hotel carpet.

There was no point. I ran a hand through my hair, disappointed. "I mean, Randy, you're…you're my best friend. Not in the way everyone considers best friends, but…that's just what you are all of a sudden. I've told you everything; I've spent all these months with you and now I just…I broke your trust." I sighed, and my breath hitched. There was no point; Randy wasn't listening. I had to walk away.

It was all my fault anyways; I had to live with the consequences.

—**-**

I felt alone over the week. Maybe it was because I was. It was occurring to me now how much of an impact Randy made on my life with his quiet existence He really had become my best friend.

Or was it just that there was more to what I was feeling for him? Had other feelings began to sprout over the time we had spent together? We had spent every working day together for the past months, besides the days when I didn't have matches and our off days. You just didn't feel this empty when you lost a friend.

I broke down weakly once and tried calling him. He didn't answer. I think the worst part of it was that I knew just how hard it had been to finally get Randy to see I wasn't anything like a stereotypical woman, or Sam, and now I had just proved him wrong myself. I had taken 100 steps back.

I jumped at the sound of my ringing phone as I drove, on my way to the next city. RAW was tomorrow night. I scrambled to get it while keeping the car steady, wondering if Randy was calling back, but it was number labeled under the name of Vince. I stared at it blankly, before I wondered if Randy had finally told Vince, and Vince wanted to now change our storyline.

"Hello?" I answered. My voice sounded small even in the compacted space.

"Hello, Lacey…" His voice was deep, and somber, and it instantly made my stomach turn. I turned down the radio.

"Hi, Vince. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you." There was a pause. "I'm calling on behalf of your position in the WWE." I frowned as my stomach turned again. He didn't have to make a storyline sound that grave.

"Oh…" I didn't want to mention anything about Randy before he did, so I waited.

"I'm afraid you've been suspended for 30 days. You've failed your Wellness test."


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Please review, it would mean a lot to me. Thanks! xx**

**Lacey's POV**

It felt like someone had just ripped the breath out of me. No, not at all like how it felt when you fell hard onto your back and got winded; this was different. Vince's words had yanked the breath from my lungs. My grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What?" I demanded when I could talk. He had to be joking.

"You've failed your drug test, Lacey. As I said before, you've been suspended for 30 days, as well as fined the amount of 30 day's pay."

"Vince," This was the first time I had referred to my boss by his first name. "I didn't...I don't...You've got something wrong here. I haven't taken anything; I'm champion." My voice was shaky, like my hands now were. Why would I ever do or take anything that would jeopardize my position?

"As I'm aware. Speaking of which, tomorrow night on RAW we will write you off of television with a claim of injury, thus beginning your time of suspension," His voice was regretful, and at the same time disappointed. There was a pause, until he continued again. "You will also have to drop the title."

I lost it. I pulled over the side of the road, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

"You're not listening to me, how could I ever fail a drug test when I haven't taken anything? I've never failed a drug test in my life! I have too much going for me, I wouldn't be that stupid! There must've been some kind of mistake. Yeah, yeah there was a mistake, Mr. McMahon." I was rambling in denial, because none of it was making any sense. It was like one of those instances where you knew you were in a bad dream, but you could only go through the motions and deal with the horrors of the nightmare. I didn't know how to deal.

"I'm afraid the drug tests do not lie." Vince's words crushed me. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say. There was no way I could explain my innocence. Through my anger and confusion, I tried seeing it through Vince's eyes. Why would he believe me over a test that never failed to point out mistakes? But there was no way in hell I had taken anything. I didn't understand how or why this was happening to me. "I'm...disappointed in you, Lacey. I expected better."

"Vince-"

"Listen, please. I know you're going to want to deny this, but remember, this is your first offense. Learn from it. We all make mistakes. It's better to own up to it." I sat helplessly paralyzed and listened to his words of wisdom that didn't apply to me. "Anyhow, I hope you think about this and learn. Have a good rest of your day." With that he was gone.

I was still like a statue before my anger erupted like a volcano, and I yanked the car keys out of the ignition before throwing them against the windshield. I had to talk to someone, and there was only one person that I could call.

I grabbed my phone again, quickly clicking through the names of my contact list before stopping on one in particular. I called the number immediately and pressed the phone to my ear, holding it tightly in my right hand.

"Hello?" A calm voice answered. It was exactly the opposite of my mood.

"John, I need you to help me." I said.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? What's going on?" I listened and waited while he fired off questions before I spoke.

"I...I don't know." I mumbled. My heart was still pounding.

"What do you mean you don't know?" He asked impatiently. I sat for a moment, not knowing what to say. I tried choosing my words carefully.

"Vince just called me...He told me that I'm...I've been suspended. I failed a drug test."

"Lacey!"

"No, wait! Just listen to me, John, please. I know, I know, drug tests are usually right. But there must've been a mistake. I swear on everything I haven't taken any illegal substances, John. There's no reason at all for me to fail a drug test. They got me mixed up with someone else, or maybe...I don't know how those things work, but you have to believe me. Vince doesn't. He says drug tests don't lie." I stopped, and listened closely for John's reply; He didn't speak for awhile.

"That's because they don't. Lacey, I don't know what to tell you."John's voice suddenly sounded distant. Not only did it sound far away, but he himself sounded colder towards me. A part of my hope fell.

"You don't even believe me?" I asked.

"Well honestly, Lacey, I'm shocked."

"I didn't do anything, John!" I insisted.

"It's alright, Lacey. I'm not judging you, you know that." I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn't scream at him. "Now that this happened, though, I would just be careful of the influences in your life."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Randy. I never did like that storyline." All of the fury and tension inside of me flowed together and mixed to create a new emotion that I had rarely ever felt in my lifetime. I tucked my bottom lip underneath my teeth tightly before I opened my mouth.

"Go to Hell." And with that I hung up before I said something else. I made up my mind to to talk to Vince tomorrow face to face; after all what good could I do now?

After taking some time to calm down, I retrieved the keys and started the car again. I kept the radio off and drove in a still stunned silence. There was nothing I could do, at least not tonight.

I walked into the arena alone, trying to think optimistically and remain determined, but my mind was my worst enemy and was threatening to bring me down. However, I had worked too hard for this spot and my reputation, and over the years I had learned to never take no for an answer.

As I walked through the halls, heading straight to Vince's office, it felt as if I were receiving more stares than usual, even from the backstage crew. I walked a thousand miles before I finally came to Vince's door and knocked nervously. A voice called me in, and I hoped Vince was alone, but I was disappointed to see Triple H standing there as well. I must have interrupted something. Paul eyed me critically and Vince's expression changed drastically before he stood with a grunt.

"Lacey." He greeted me. I swallowed because my throat was suddenly dry.

"Hi, Mr. McMahon."

"You can turn in the title tonight after the show. We've decided that you will re-injure your ankle against Kelly Kelly, but nothing serious. Any questions?"

I hesitated, and tried to ignore Paul's menacing presence.

"Vince, you really need to believe me." I pleaded, looking into his eyes. "I did not and have not ever taken any illegal substances in my entire life. I'm drug free. There was some mistake, I'm sure." Vince watched me unconvinced, and I heard a snort that must have came from Paul's mouth.

"You should do as Vince says and take this as a learning experience. That would be the wise and mature thing to do." Paul rumbled dismissively.

"So now I'm being immature for speaking up for myself and trying to right a wrong?" I retorted.

"And not owning up to your mistakes, yes." Paul answered just as quickly.

"I didn't make any damn mistakes!" I yelled desperately.

"She's obviously emotional." Paul said, turning to Vince and acting as if I weren't there. I watched incredulously as Vince nodded and sighed.

"Lacey, it would be in your best interest for you to leave my office and prepare for your match tonight. You should be getting your match outline together." Vince spoke sternly. I was now degraded to a child rather than an equal adult. I stood for a moment, before I dropped my head and turned slowly, heading towards the door.

"After-all, you don't want to screw up the match too." I heard a mutter, coming again from Paul. I whipped around to glare acidly, and received one just as harsh in return. I turned again and walked out of the tight office briskly and made it a point to slam the door.

I opened the women's locker room angrily, and it was like a scene in a movie. The talking ceased and everyone turned to stare. I was the object of interest and quickly turned to a target of judging stares. There was no friendliness in their eyes, and my friends did not meet my eyes. I walked in and placed my bag down, wondering just what in the hell had happened. Had word gotten around that quickly?

As I got dressed, the talking rose to a soft buzz and I received glances nearly every minute before I turned my back. That only worked for so long though, because I had to talk to Kelly for our match.

I approached her and Mickie hesitantly, and they stared at me like I was unknown to them. I was an outsider.

"Hi..." I murmured, unsure of what to say.

"Why did you do it?" Mickie asked promptly, as if she had been holding it in.

"I didn't! I swear I didn't, there was a mistake but nobody believes me..." I trailed off because the obvious looks on their faces told me they didn't believe one word coming out of my mouth.

"You can ask creative what were doing for our match. I already know." Kelly said curtly before she turned her back to me and began to talk to Mickie, excluding me from the conversation. I could feel tears in my the corner of my eye, and I turned wordlessly and walked out. I obviously wasn't wanted here. Maybe this suspension wasn't a bad thing.

The match was going bad and was one of, if not, the worst matches in my career. I couldn't focus and I was too emotional. I was embarrassed and tired, and in my mind there was no point in trying.

It finally came time for me to feign my injury, and when Kelly threw me over the rope, I landed in my foot and dropped to the ground, pretending to have hurt my ankle. I stayed there until the show went to commercial, and as I was being "helped" backstage, a few tears started rolling down my cheeks. They were real.

The tears didn't stop, even when I turned in my title to one of the backstage men that I didn't know. They didn't stop even as I drove to my hotel room. Technically I could have just flown home after tonight's show, but I also didn't have to. I was in no condition to fly right now; I'd just stay in my hotel for tonight. I hid my face with a jacket and hood and trudged up to my room, taking the stairs so I wouldn't be seen.

My room was empty and unsettling, and it was easy to cry being utterly alone.

I stopped when I heard a knock, too loud to be a hotel workers, but too soft to be someone that I didn't know. I wondered if it was John, but he had been one of those to stare judgmentally in the hallway. I doubted it was him.

I stood up, wiping my eyes quickly and roughly and swinging open the door without checking who it was.

Out of everyone who could have been there, I would have guess it to be my dead cat before Randy Orton, but there he was, standing and looking stoic with narrowed eyes. I stared in shock for a moment before I opened my mouth. He cut me off before I could even say anything.

"I know you didn't do it."


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I have to admit this chapter isn't my best, but I hope you like the update nonetheless. Thank you all so much for your reviews and support, it might seem like I don't read the reviews or care about what you say, but I read each and every one and it means a lot to me. Thank you! 3 xx**

**Lacey's POV**

The relief that was released throughout my body was overwhelming, and I almost had to reach out to the wall for support. I couldn't help it as my breath rushed into my mouth in a gasp of shock, and tears were threatening to fall. I tried really hard not to cry, because crying in front of Randy wasn't exactly a privilege I deserved, considering what I did to him. It was like asking for his pity, which was something else I didn't deserve; I didn't deserve his comfort.

Despite my efforts to stop the rain from my eyes, they stormed anyways, and I hid my face. I realized that wasn't going to work and quickly turned and walked the opposite way of the door. It clicked shut, and I heard him walking on the wooden floor of the hotel room. Step. Step. I wiped my eyes fiercely, trying to rid my face of the moisture.

"You don't have to be ashamed to cry in front of me." His voice was deep, and though his words were compassionate, his tone was slightly guarded, and I felt a prick of guilt as I turned to him. When I met his eyes, some emotion that I couldn't name surged through me. It was a powerful feeling.

This man, the man standing before me, was in no way a monster. He wasn't the bad influence everyone made him out to be. This man with a rough-and-tough looking exterior was really considerate and caring underneath it all; this proved it. He didn't have to be here. As of right now, he was the only one to actually believe in my innocence without even hearing anything I said.

"I'm sorry," My voice was pitifully embarrassing, and I stopped because it sounded terrible, especially when hoarse and emotional. I wanted to say more, hell, I could tell an entire speech to this man, but I couldn't find the words. They probably wouldn't do him an justice anyways.

"What for?" He asked, his expression and tone staying the same. "For crying?"

"For that." I looked down at my feet. I had finally managed to stop the tears and forced myself to looked up at him bravely. "And also because, Randy, I...I'm so sorry for the person that I am. For what I say and the mistakes that I make. You never deserved any of that." He sighed deeply before he sat down on the edge of my hotel bed.

"You say you're sorry for the person that you are," He noted, looking down at his hands which were clasped together, before chuckling without humor. "I find that very amusing." He looked up at me, directly into my eyes with his own blue eyes burning. "Because the person that you are, the person I see and the person I know, is one of the greatest people I've ever met." I had to clench my teeth together in order to keep from crying. "The things you've said have sometimes been bad, yes, but I am no saint and I cannot judge you. Hell, maybe I needed someone to give me a wake-up call to stop moping around about the past and get over it all already. Maybe I've been hanging on for too long." He looked down at his hands again.

Ever so slowly, I moved in front of where he sat and knelt down. He met my gaze steadily.

"You're the only person who believes me, and you have every reason in the world not to." I whispered. He smirked.

"That's where you're wrong. You're the only person who's made me feel human again." He looked behind me at the wall. "I heard everything you said that day you tried to apologize at the hotel; I was sitting against the door. I didn't open because I was angry, and I thought you were just lying, and just trying to cover and save your ass. But the more I thought, the more I realized everything you were saying was how I felt too, and then I heard you walk away. I wanted to call you back...Over the course of that one week, I felt lonely again. I don't...I don't like that feeling anymore."

"I felt the same...is this why you came back?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Partly. I heard about what happened around backstage tonight; a few of the Divas were talking about it and everyone found out. I knew instantly that you didn't do it." That feeling of relief was there again, and I sat back against the ground. Randy must have mistaken my relief for another feeling. He leaned forward. "Now, Lacey, you know you don't have to lie to me. Don't lie, because you already have this punishment, guilty or not, and lying won't give you my respect. So just tell me, have you taken anything at all?" I shook my head vigorously.

"No." We stared at each other for some time, before he breathed out heavily.

"Then we gotta figure out what's going on here." I stared at him helplessly; if I knew how to figure this out then I would have a long time ago.

"Don't you have to be in the next city tonight? Or tomorrow morning?" I asked quietly. Randy shook his head.

"No. It's slowing down; next week we're going to visit the troops." Disappointment weighed me down. I wouldn't get to go.

"I wish I were I going." I mumbled. Randy's eyes flickered to mine, and he stared, still seemingly thinking.

"Lacey, do you remember that night...when we stopped talking...and you went out with everyone else?" I nodded. "Do you remember the entire night?" I hesitated, desperately struggling to remember it. The only thing I could remember was waking up in John's bed, and that wasn't something I wanted to share with Randy as soon as he started talking to me again.

"I...I don't...we were drinking a lot..."

"It usually doesn't cause you to forget every single thing." Randy muttered. "Were you watching your drink the entire time?" I couldn't remember anything, how was I supposed to remember small things such as if I was watching my drink?

"Probably not..." I murmured shamefully. Randy frowned in frustration.

"Lacey, you know better than that; that's one of the first rules you should always remember when going out."

"So...you think someone spiked my drink?" I asked carefully, letting it sink in. "Who would ever do that?"

"People are more malicious than you think." Randy answered a bit bitterly. "It could have been the bartender, or..." He stopped and looked at me, and we both knew what he was thinking, but I didn't want to imagine it. Could one of my peers really do something like that to me? Who would ever do anything like that to me?

Randy seemed to answer my unspoken question. "I know it's something hard to imagine, but it could have even been someone you knew. Jealousy can do a lot of things to people." I sat there dumb-founded, trying to process.

"But...it doesn't make any sense..."

"Who all went?" Randy asked. I blinked, trying to recall the faces.

"John...JBL, Chris...a few other guys...Candice, Kelly, and Mickie.." Out of all the people I just named, I could never even begin to imagine them doing such a heinous act to me; they were my friends.

"John?" Randy suggested. I frowned, and the thought seemed to hurt me on the inside.

"I don't...John wouldn't..." I murmured softly, and Randy didn't look convinced. He opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly did before he could. "No, John would never do that to anyone. He didn't." My voice was dismissive and firm. Randy shrugged.

"You know him better than I do, I suppose. Anyone else?" I tried thinking of reasons why any of the other people would ever want to sabotage me, but I couldn't think of anything. I shook my head.

"No, Randy, I honestly just don't think any of them would so such a thing. They're my friends."

"Lacey, I think we both know people aren't always who they say and act to be." He said lowly. I swallowed.

"I know. I understand that, but maybe it was the bartender or..." I trailed off because I didn't know what else to say.

"What about one of the Divas? Kelly, Candice or Mickie?" I frowned.

"Why would-"

"Lacey," Randy cut me off impatiently. "Please think for a second. Use your head; you said it yourself. Being champion makes other people envious. It's very possible one of them were jealous." He spoke fervently, seemingly annoyed with my denial. I had to admit what he was saying made sense, but I didn't necessarily want to believe it.

"I.." I stopped, still trying to understand and grasp everything.

"Let's just say it was one of them, alright? Think; they got what they wanted. Your reputation is ruined. You're now suspended, and you had to drop the title, which you most likely won't have for a long time. They turned your life into a nightmare."

"Even if it was one of them, I have no idea who it could have been." I insisted, standing up and walking to looked out the big window overlooking the city. I crossed my arms. "Besides, there isn't much I can do now anyways."

"You're just going to let them get away with ruining everything for you?" Randy asked, sounding outraged. "You've worked for all of this; nothing was handed to you. It's_ ruined_." I turned around quickly.

"Randy, I have no proof whatsoever! You could be right for all I know, but I can't do anything about it! And besides, maybe they didn't do it!"

"How else would your drink have gotten spiked?" Randy snapped.

"I don't-!" I stopped abruptly and let out a long sigh before turning back to look out at the serene city. "I don't know..."

I heard him stand after a moment. Maybe he was finally leaving now; if I were him I would have already been gone. It surprised me when he was by my side, also looking out at the city. When I looked up at him, he looked down at me. He looked considerately calmer than before, just a few seconds before, and it surprised me.

"Why are you so good?" He sounded almost inaudible, and my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"What?"

"Even despite everything that you know and have been through, despite everything you've seen and heard in this world, you're still adamantly against believing someone would ever hurt you on purpose." He sighed. "You're so...forgiving, and trusting. You're so pure, and such an easy target. Maybe that's another reason why I came; I feel like I have to protect you." He admitted, somewhat reluctantly. "Because unlike you, I'm fully aware of the way people really are." I looked over at him.

"And I'm fully aware of the way people can be. After-all, I gave you a chance, didn't I?" A slow smirk spread on his face.

"Yes. You did. I'm..." He paused and looked down at me. "I'm grateful." I didn't know what to say. Thankfully, he continued. "No matter what you believe, I have a feeling someone that you know did this. I'm gonna be listening around backstage. We'll find out what really happened." He sounded determined. I wasn't too convinced.

"I suppose I won't see you for awhile..." I murmured. After tonight, he would most likely leave tomorrow and keep traveling, while my life would be stopped indefinitely for 30 days.

"I'll keep in touch." He smiled slightly. I smiled back.

"You better."


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: Ahh, sorry for the lack of an update! Thank you all for reviewing and being so patient and encouraging; it truly means a lot! I hope you enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think!**

**Lacey's POV**

I kept my head down and squinted against the heavy wind, trying to juggle the tasks of carrying my luggage, as well as keep up with Randy's brisk pace. An involuntary shiver escaped my body and must have been visible enough for Randy to see, because he let out a small chuckle and glanced at me.

"Told you it was cold." He murmured, slightly proud. We had argued in the hotel lobby about the weather before leaving to the airport early this morning.

_**-Flashback-**_

_Randy appraised me as I approached him in the hotel lobby. Last night had been the night he came to me and found me crying and ready to rip my hair out, or maybe rip my entire head off was more appropriate. He raised an eyebrow as I got closer, and an uncomfortable worry passed through me, making me extremely self-conscious. I had only applied a light layer of make-up, because I was just going on a flight home, but now I worried that my eyes were puffy from crying._

_"...What?" I asked warily once we were in speaking distance. He reached a large hand out and lightly pinched the fabric of my thin t-shirt sleeve._

_"You're going to be cold in that." He warned me. A warm wave of relief turned my anxiety to comfort, and I actually let out a small laugh._

_"I've got these," I argued, sticking my leg out to show my thick sweats. He snorted and rolled his eyes._

_"You'll regret not wearing a jacket." He said confidently, reaching down to pick up his bag. I picked up my own._

_"No I won't."_

_"Yes. You will." He said, glancing over his shoulder at me and beginning to head to the door. I followed after him and out of the seemingly empty hotel. It was too early for anyone else to be up. It felt like it was just us._

_"No."_

_"Yes." He chuckled, holding the door open for me. Outside, it appeared to still be nighttime, at least that's what it looked like due to the near black sky. _

_**-End of flashback-**_

"Okay, okay, you were right. Would you like a gold star?" I grumbled. He said nothing, and when I looked up he had a concentrated look on his face. The right side of his jacket was hanging off of his shoulder, and he shifted his bag to his right hand to shrug off the other side. I realized what he was doing.

"No! Randy, I'm fine. Honestly. We're almost inside, I don't need it." I protested quickly, but he didn't even pause.

"Might be cold on the plane."

"What? Oh, no. No; I can't just take your jacket." He handed it to me as we walked, but I shook my head firmly.

"Lacey, this isn't the only jacket I own. It's December, it'll come in handy."

"Phoenix isn't that cold. I never get cold on planes anyways. Besides, we won't be seeing each other for at least 30 days. And you're going to see the troops, you'll need it more than me." I argued. We were about ten feet from the door now. He shrugged and let his hand fall to his side, holding the jacket.

"Suit yourself."

It was mostly silence as we walked into the airport and went through the normal routine. Except this time, it wasn't so normal. Today we wouldn't be going to the same gates and getting on the same plane; we were heading in opposite directions across the country. My heart grew heavy and a burning longing filled it and turned my blood bitter. I should be getting on the same plane as Randy, on my way to wrestle in the next city.

Realization that we had to say goodbye sunk in the moment Randy stopped walking and turned his attention to me. Before it could get awkward, I spoke up.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." He nodded his head.

"Well...I mean, I know why you came to my room last night but..." I sighed. "Let's be honest; this has got to be the worst thing I've done to you. I was convinced I didn't really deserve your forgiveness." I looked up at him, and he was listening intently like he always did. I felt the need to fill the silence with speech. "I mean, I'm glad you did forgive me, but...I thought you would be extremely furious with me-you had the right to be."

"You think I should still be mad at you?" He concluded. I nodded; it was something I had thought of last night. Randy wasn't exactly the forgiving type.

"You've made me do a lot of self-evaluation. It's simple, simpler than I had thought. Why hold onto anger? I've been filled with anger ever since the divorce and it's gotten me no where. Being angry at you would get me no where. And...I know what it's like to be misunderstood. You don't deserve this." I looked down, once again reminded of the punishment I didn't deserve. "Hey," Randy's voice made me look up reluctantly. "Hey now, don't do that to me. I don't want to remember you like this for the next 30 days." His eyes searched mine, bright and clear and matched the smile on his face. I smiled back lightly.

"I've never really been good at goodbyes..." I admitted, swallowing.

"I said I'd keep in touch." He reminded me.

"Yes, but we both know our job is extraordinarily busy."

"It's not like I've got anything better to occupy my free time with. I'll call you every now and then when I get the chance." It wasn't exactly a promise, but it didn't need to be. I believed him down to the last word.

"Okay," I murmured, and knew it time to do the unavoidable. Randy knew it too, and reached out, arms open. I breathed out a sigh of contentment against his chest when his arms wrapped around me.

"Take care, Lacey. You can call me too if you ever need someone to talk to." His voice was gentle and tender, and so different than the normal tone that he spoke with. I nodded, unsure of my voice, and hoped that with each passing second he wouldn't let me go. Eventually, he did though. He gave me a parting smile, and reached down to pick up his bag again. I bit my lip hesitantly, and just before his fingers touched the handle, I opened my mouth.

"Wait!-" He stopped, and looked up at me. "Er...can I still take you up on that offer about uh...your jacket?" I asked softly, feeling heat creep up my back. He straightened up wordlessly and shrugged out of his jacket again without a complaint and handed it out to me.

"Cold?" He asked. I nodded sheepishly, pulling my arms through the large sleeves. They were, of course, much too long for me, and I worked on rolling them up slightly.

"How do I look?" I asked, glancing down. Needless to say, it was quite roomy and came down past my hips. He chuckled in mild amusement.

"Ridiculous." He said. "But warm, I suppose." A voice came on through the speakers, and called my flight. Randy's eyes met mine and I smiled weakly.

"That's me..." I reached down reluctantly to grab my bag. "Thanks for..." I was going to thank him for the jacket, but I owned him a thanks for much more than that. I met his eyes again. "...for everything." I could tell he understood as he nodded.

"Of course. Goodbye...I'll give you a call when I land." He told me as I began to walk slowly away. I only nodded to him, because saying the actual word that would confirm our departure was too hard to get out of my mouth. His stare burned through my back, and all the way through his thick jacket that smelled exactly like him.

I boarded my flight and took my seat not soon after our conversation, all the while still smelling him. If I closed my eyes, it was almost like he was there, in the seat next to mine, rather than the business woman with her laptop. Of course, I had lied about being cold. I had said the truth before; Arizona wasn't that cold in the winter, and I had plenty of my own jackets at home. Truth was, having Randy's jacket was the second best thing next to his actual presence. While I waited for the plane to depart, I only hoped the scent didn't fade too quickly. These 30 days were going to be painfully long.

Stepping into my empty and cold apartment wasn't exactly a warm welcoming. I was rarely even here, and it was sad that I had spent more time in hotel rooms, cars, and planes than my actually residence. However, I couldn't even deny that I'd rather be in a hotel room, car, or plane right now. Mostly, I'd rather be in the ring.

Visions of the the crowd and their cheering filled my head as I headed to my bedroom absently and began to unpack everything. I finished that faster than expected and sighed to myself. Already, I was bored. Soon I would be talking to myself.

I jumped as my phone began to ring, and fumbled around in my pockets for my phone. Randy's name flashed on the screen, and I smiled.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice echoing in the room.

"Just landed." His voice was deeper, but still familiar. "How are you doing?"

"Just unpacked."

"How's it feel being home?" I could heard the chatter of people around him in the airport and was reminded there were other people out there in the world, doing things. I felt so alone in my so-called home.

"Would you like me to lie or tell the truth?" I asked, sitting down on my too firm bed.

"Oh, it can't be that bad." He reasoned.

"I'm going to go absolutely crazy here, Randy." I said, falling back against the sheets. Even they were too stiff from lack of use.

"Adopt a pet. That'll keep you company." He suggested. I scoffed.

"I'm suspended, not retired. I can't just adopt a pet now and neglect it later."

"Maybe fish?"

"No." I chuckled. "Fish die too, especially in my care." He laughed, and the sound brought back the intense feeling of longing. I desperately wanted to tell him I missed him, but held back. Maybe this was just something I felt from the new found loneliness. I'd just have to get over it eventually. The fingers of my free hand began to slid against the fabric of Randy's jacket, which I still had on.

"I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your time." He reassured me.

"Maybe." I murmured, staring up at the white ceiling. "I hate this...so much...I don't want to be here. It's like I was living in a dream and it just turned into a nightmare..."

"I'm still going to be listening around the best I can. Maybe I can even get John to help me." He said. I snorted bitterly.

"No. He thinks I actually did this."

"John?" Randy sounded slightly surprised.

"Yeah. He...he blamed it on you. He said you were the reason I would do something like this." I murmured. Randy didn't respond right away.

"What did you say?" He asked slowly, lowly.

"I told him to go to Hell." I said, stifling a small laugh. Randy chuckled, but I could hear the relief underneath the sound. "I was a bit upset, to say the least. Maybe that was too far."

"Well, either way, I'll see what I can do. I'll call you soon, I have to get my rental now." He said. I continued to slid my fingers across the fabric, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay on the phone with me forever.

"Okay. Bye." I couldn't keep him no matter how much I wanted. He said goodbye, and the line cut dead. For the moment, I continued to rub the fabric and stare at the ceiling before even that got too boring. I didn't have anything else to do though, so I flopped over to my stomach.

"What the hell am I going to do for a month..." I asked to no one in particular and groaned softly. Now I actually was talking to myself. Great. The first stage of insanity. Soon, I would probably start hearing answers. Hopefully I wouldn't reach that point, at least not in 30 days.


	28. Chapter 27

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please let me know what you think, and please accept my love to all of you who read and like my story. It means so much to me. xx**

**Randy's POV**

Once again, I was faced with the curious stares of the men's locker room, and I did my best to ignore them as they prepared for Monday Night RAW. I was waiting for someone, and I knew he wouldn't be too hard to find. Reminding myself that I was doing this all for Lacey, I continued to wait, knowing that I was her only hope of fair justice.

John didn't take too long, and he was easy to spot in his t-shirt and jean shorts. I stood and made my way over to him, trying to appear respectful and at the same time guarded. John eyed me wordlessly, but words didn't have to come out of his mouth to tell me what he thought of me. His eyes said it all.

"Randy." His greeting sounded empty.

"I need to talk to you." I told him, keeping my voice low. He opened his mouth, but I didn't give him enough time to protest. "I think we both know who it's about, and I suggest you listen to what I have to say." He looked at me closely before letting out a breath of air, still looking doubtful. I gave it another try and chose my words carefully. "I thought you were John Cena, the man who doesn't judge anyone. She speaks so highly of you all the time, and now you're treating her like this, like she's nothing. Is she really nothing to you, John?" I asked, throwing his name over my shoulder and walking out of the room, thankfully unnoticed. I knew he would follow me out.

Sure enough, he joined me a second later, and we stared at each other in the secluded backstage hallway.

"What are you trying to tell me, Randy? The drug test lied?" He demanded in exasperation after our brief silence.

"I'm not trying to tell you anything. I want to know what happened that night you all went out together to the bar. The night she let it slip about my divorce."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" John asked. "Randy, she's already served two weeks of that suspension. It's almost over."

"Look, John; I'm trying to help her. Surprisingly, I think I'm the only one with that agenda." I said, stepping closer.

"Why is that surprising? Lacey had this entire locker room behind her until she chose to ruin everything she had going for her. She's got to accept the consequences that come with her mistakes." I snorted in complete disbelief.

"Am I even talking to John Cena? Do you really, truly, believe in your heart Lacey did this? You believe Lacey actually took an illegal substance?" I asked him. He didn't answer, and his eyes wavered, shining in the light uncertainly. "By believing that instead of the Lacey that you and I both know, you're slapping her directly in the face. You are stripping her of the respect she deserves. C'mon, John, I _know_ you know her better than this." I wasn't truly sure if I was getting through to him; he was looking down to the ground. My own words rang in my head as I waited for a reply, and it took some time before I got one.

"Just tell me why you're trying so hard to help her, Randy." John said quietly. I wasn't expecting a response that would require thought. The answer came to me almost immediately, though, so maybe I knew it all along.

"Maybe it's because I know what it's like to be utterly alone and not have anyone to help you. Not have anyone to depend on. It takes having everything you ever wanted, and then having that all ripped away from you for you to truly understand the value of something important." I murmured.

"Paul and I were those people, Randy. We told you time and time again about all the drugs; we tried to stop you and you wouldn't listen to us. Because you had it in your head that you were invincible and untouchable until you hit reality." I narrowed my eyes and smiled bitterly.

"I wasn't talking about the time I got suspended." I told him. The anger vanished from his eyes and switched to slight guilt before I continued on, because I didn't want his pity. "The way you just described me is nothing like Lacey, right? Let me answer that for you; no. I found her crying, John, because she felt so alone." Finally, I saw concern color his eyes.

"You're complete opposites," He agreed softly. "Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time understanding why you're so eager to fix this."

"You can't just...stand back and let someone as good as her suffer for something as wrong as this."

"And you're sure she didn't do it?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm positive." I raised my chin a little higher, unwavering.

"There was a part of me that didn't believe this, but...you can't fake something like this..." He was completely confused and I didn't blame him.

"That's why I need to know what happened that night. Lacey doesn't remember what happened, and I think someone put something in her drink." I said. John's eyes looked past my gaze, and when I turned my head, I saw some of the younger guys standing outside the room, glancing at us and talking in low voices.

"Come on, we can't talk here." He murmured to me. I nodded, and we headed down the hallway side by side. "You know, now that I think back, she was acting odd not too long after we started drinking. She passed the point of being wasted." John recalled after we had been walking for awhile. "I mean, I wasn't monitoring how much she drank, but I know it couldn't have been that much. When we tried leaving she could barely walk. I had to carry her to my room for the night." An emotion that was unfamiliar to me filled my system, and I tried to push it away so I could focus on what John was saying. But I couldn't; that emotion was sprouting and spreading as I imagined John carrying her delicate body in his arms.

"Who bought the drinks?" I asked, still struggling to suppress my jealousy and changing my own mind back to the important matter.

"I think it was the girls." John said, though he sounded uncertain.

"You mean some of the Divas? Who?" I asked, glad we were finally heading somewhere.

"I think it was...Candice, and Kelly was with her." John looked at me quickly. "You don't think they did it, do you?" I stopped walking, thinking thoughtfully.

"Well, John, I think you and I both know women can get extremely jealous."

**Lacey's POV**

"Now, coming up tonight JR, we'll get to see the last fatal four-way match to determine the second number one contender for the vacant Women's Championship!" Jerry "The King" Lawler's enthusiasm normally made me smile, but not tonight.

"That's right, King. We informed all of you last week on RAW and on that former Women's champion, Lacey Reyes, re-injured her ankle two weeks ago on RAW in a bout against Kelly Kelly. It is still undetermined how long she will be out for. Last week, we watched Melina defeat Maria, Jillian, and Kelly Kelly to become the first number one contender. The winner of tonight's match will take on Melina on RAW next week to determine the new Women's champion." I sighed, listening to JR.

"Tonight it's going to be Mickie James, Candice Michelle, Layla, and Beth Phoenix! That match is coming up after this break!" Jerry squealed in excitement, before it faded and switched to commercials. I had watched last week as Maria, Melina, Jillian, and Kelly Kelly all fought. I then watched them get eliminated one after the other, starting with Jillian, then Maria, and finally Kelly. Melina stood standing at the end. Beneath my slight depression, I was okay with that result.

This week I was sitting in the dark of my living room, huddled underneath blanket and holding hot chocolate in my hands. I had to turn up the TV once before because the wind was blowing heavily outside. Ever since I was younger, I always wished for it to snow in Arizona during the holidays. Needless to say, it never did.

The first week of my suspension had passed by painfully slow and uneventful. The highlights of it included organizing my room and dusting. This week wasn't exactly any better. I was reminded with every passing second how devoted I was to this job; it was all I had. It was my life. And now, this incident had erased all my prior hard work and shoved me down five steps of the ladder. I had been at the top before, but now my ladder was full of obstacles I would have to face once I got back, such as earning back the respect and dignity I had lost.

My phone rang beside me, and I was surprised to see it was Randy. We had texted a few times recently, but nothing more. I answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Lacey, I know you can't remember, but you've got to try to think past the haze and remember that night you can't remember." I was surprised by his words and paused for a second.

"Why do you think that night holds the key to everything?" I asked, sitting up a little higher against my couch.

"It's the night you can't remember, I think it's your only option." He pointed out. I sighed and ran a hand through my messy hair. I was home during the middle of winter; I looked like everything but a Diva at the moment.

"I don't know, Randy...I mean, this seems kind of...impossible. Even if I can remember anything, what will that prove?" I asked, feeling a bit hopeless. He didn't answer right away.

"Just think, alright?" I watched the commercial in front of me absently. It was odd watching wrestling on TV instead of being there, in the midst of the action.

"Okay." I agreed reluctantly. "I suppose you have to go now, right? You've got to get ready for your match later." Randy was still champion, and while he wasn't exactly the most popular backstage, he was extremely popular with the fans. Tonight he was the main event, of course.

"Yeah," He murmured, before continuing somewhat hastily. "I mean, I can still talk. I've got some time." I smiled slightly, still watching the screen unseeingly. "What have you been up to?"

"Um...I wish I could say something productive, but truthfully I've only organized the clothes in my closet by color." His laughter sounded through the phone and made me smile again. It was enough to warm the atmosphere around me.

"Well, I have to admit, today I almost bought your coffee when I bought mine at Starbucks. I had to remember you weren't with me. I'm still not used to it, even after two weeks." I smiled gently, feeling a familiar tug in my stomach as he spoke while I looked down at the drink in my hands. "Lacey?" He asked when I didn't reply after awhile.

"I miss you." I mumbled after a moment, and looked back up at the TV. The next Divas match was starting, but I barely noticed, or cared. My heart was pounding heavily, and I threw the blanket off of me because it was suddenly much too hot. "Er, I mean...I miss being around you-I...miss your presence, you know? It's...I'm not used to...not seeing you, and all." I stuttered, and cringed at my own words. Of course, leave it to me to make it worse. I was a second from hanging up due to the smoldering embarrassment I felt, until I heard him speak.

"I miss you too." To say I was shocked was beyond what I felt. "You know, for someone so small, you've managed to make quite the impact on my life." Was I dreaming, or was he really saying this to me? I blinked several times.

"I..I'll let you go now; your match is up soon. You should get ready." Somehow I managed to string words together to create a plausible sentence.

"Alright. Take care." He sounded sincere, and the words went through my ear before spreading through my body and filling me with a new set of feelings. Feelings I hadn't felt ever since high school.

"You too."

It took me a second to come back to reality and focus on the TV screen, mildly surprised to see it was already down to Candice against Beth. Remembering Randy's request, I only half-watched and more tried to remember the night that I couldn't.

"_**Someone get this girl a drink." Chris finally said, frowning at me after he downed a shot. I chuckled, and shook my head. **_Beth was setting Candice up for her Glam Slam, but I was losing myself in my thoughts and trying to pull back everything from the past.

"_**We were just about to head to the bar." Kelly smiled. "We'll grab you a little something." **_It was all beginning to come back faster, and I barely noticed when Candice wriggled out of Beth's grip and set her up with the Candy-Wrapper.

_**Candice and Kelly came back with drinks in tow, and Candice placed one down by my hand. "Thanks…." I murmured. **_Candice brought Beth down to the mat and covered her with her body, and the referee began counting instantly. _**She smiled brightly at me. "No problem." **_I inhaled sharply as the bell rung, and I looked at the TV to see the winner. It was Candice.

It was _Candice_. Every other feeling left my body and I was left feeling cold, and stunned. I grabbed my phone again and redialed the last number hurriedly. Randy's match was after the next segment.

"Hello?"

"Randy, I remember. That night, I didn't want to drink, but Candice brought me one anyways. It was...her." It hurt me even more now that I said it out loud.

"I talked to John earlier. He said he thought it was Candice and Barbie who bought the drinks." The news of Randy speaking to John was only slight compared to what my mind was comprehending now.

"Now that I think about it...I remember her being upset a few times, while I was champion." Everything inside of me was burning, just burning with betrayal. I heard Randy sigh on the other end.

"I hate to tell you 'I told you so', Lacey, but...I told you not everyone in this world is good." No. They weren't at all. I knew that, but weren't the people who were closest to you supposed to be good?

"I've got to go now." I murmured and hung up before he could reply. I didn't need to be bothering him with something that was obviously my own problem anyways; he had already done enough for me.

I wasn't a saint. I wasn't some oblivious peace-loving angel who believed there wasn't anything bad in this world. I knew when I signed up for the WWE that I wasn't there to make friends. Over time, however, I learned that being a Diva was a privilege, and it gave you an exclusive ticket into a very close group of extraordinary women. Nobody went through the things that we did, nobody saw the things we did. At times, we were misunderstood and viewed as nothing more than pretty-faces, but we weren't. We were so much more. We all had dreams, and the lucky ones achieved them. I was one of the lucky ones.

I felt far from lucky now. I had lost that connection with the girls all because of lie. I was set up and stabbed in the back by someone I trusted, and I was angry. Being a Diva meant a lot of things, and among that included having class and being a real woman. The actions that Candice had pulled on me classified her as nothing, in my eyes. She was nothing, nothing more than a selfish coward who couldn't achieve her dreams the right way. Instead, she stripped away mine in a jealous fit of rage. I sat there on my couch, knowing that she would win that title, _my_ title, next week, and knew one thing; she wasn't about to get away with it.


	29. Chapter 28

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! A big THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed this, I love you all. I do read every review and it means a lot, so keep reviewing! Anyways, I hope you like this. There will be more Randy/Lacey in the next chapter! xx**

**Lacey's POV**

I didn't pack much so I could travel light. It was Sunday, about a week since last RAW, and there was only a little over a week left until Christmas, so the airport was going to be inevitably busy.

Randy had tried calling me a few times over the last week, but I couldn't answer. I felt a bit guilty, but I knew he wouldn't be mad. He would get slightly frustrated, but he would understand. As a matter of fact, I knew he understood because of what he said in the voicemail he left me the last time he rang.

"_Lacey, it's Randy. Look, sweetheart, I know this might be hard for you to deal with. I know it is. I hope you're doing alright. Give me a call." _His voice was gentle and very concerned, like he was speaking to a wounded and fragile person. Maybe I seemed delicate to Randy, but he -and everyone else- were just going to have to see the other side of me that wasn't so delicate.

As I waited for my plane, I finally pulled my phone out and dialed his number. It rang a couple times, and I waited patiently, until I heard his strong voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"I'm coming to North Carolina." I said, not wasting any time. That was where they were going to be tomorrow for RAW.

"What?" He demanded. "And what exactly are you planning to do?"

"I haven't…figured that out yet.." I admitted. "It'd be different if Candice weren't going to win my title."

"Lacey, you don't know that for a fact." He pointed out calmly. "Melina could win."

"Too late, I'm waiting for my plane." I heard him sigh. "Besides, I can't take that risk. This is what she wanted all along, Randy, and I can't let her get away with it. Not this way." Randy was silent, and I waited, watching people greet their friends and family, and rush about. I almost forgot I was on the phone with Randy until he spoke.

"I've got an idea."

"You do?" I asked quickly.

"I'm not guaranteeing it will work…" He warned me. I chuckled.

"I'm willing to try anything."

—**-**

"Looks like my jacket came in handy after all." I gasped and whipped around to one of the back entrances to the arena RAW was being held at. Randy stood there holding the door open for me. _More than you know_. I thought, but instead of admitting that, I glared.

"Took you long enough!" I hissed, but he only smirked. The arena was much warmer than the outside air. Conveniently enough, there were a lot of backstage crates, hiding us from anyone else's view. I removed the large jacket and held it in my arms.

"It's good to see you again." Randy commented. My annoyance quickly melted.

"It's good to see you too…." I agreed, and swallowed, wanting to say more but hesitating.

"You remember the plan?" Randy asked, bringing me back to reality that we knew. I nodded slowly, beginning to feel butterflies in my stomach. He gave me a nod back.

"Randy, this is crazy." I blurted out a second later. "I mean…I just…" I stopped and froze as someone came around the corner, before I realized it was John. He gave me a quick look before glancing at Randy.

"The divas match just started. Mickie's gonna catch Melina as soon as she comes backstage." I frowned in confusion, not remembering this part in the plan, or John and Mickie's involvement. Randy seemed to sense my confusion and turned to me.

"John told Mickie to get the divas together and celebrate Candice and her win in catering; Mickie doesn't know what's going on, and neither does Candice. You'll be able to confront Candice in the locker room alone, but you won't have all the time in the world." I nodded in understanding, and felt John's gaze on me.

"What exactly are you planning?" John asked, looking between Randy and I speculatively. I took a breath to steady myself.

"I'm gonna make her confess." I said, not meeting John's gaze. In my head the plan always sounded foolproof, and speaking about it with Randy made me believe it could actually work. But now, under John's incredulous stare, I suddenly felt very much naive.

"How? Are you gonna get it on camera?" He asked with a face of disbelief. He obviously thought I was daft. Maybe I was.

"Oh no. Even better; he's going to hear it himself." Randy said. He sounded much more confident than I felt. I glanced over at him uncertainly, and he gave me a look of encouragement.

"I'm going to get her to admit it, and Randy is going to somehow convince Vince to stand outside and wait and listen for himself." I murmured hesitantly. If John didn't think I was stupid before, then he most certainly did now.

"What makes you think this will actually work?" He asked me skeptically. I bit my lip, unable to find a reason. His gaze softened and his voice was less harsh when he spoke. "Lacey, I believe you didn't do it, but if this doesn't work, you're just going to get into even more trouble. Candice is getting what she wanted, why would she admit it now?"

"That's exactly why she would admit it." Randy interjected as I digested John's opinion. "She thinks that she's won, and now she feels invincible. She thinks she's unstoppable."

"I can't just sit and let her do this." I added quietly, and that was one thing I truly believed. John sighed in apparent resignation and looked me in the eye.

"I hope you know what you're doing." He murmured quietly. It was a warning. I swallowed, feeling sick with nervousness. "I'll let you know as soon as the match ends." He turned and began to walk away swiftly, not looking back.

"Now, you listen to me, Lacey." Randy turned to me, his voice low and intense. He must have seen the uneasiness on my face. "This is your only chance." He warned me. "No mercy. She didn't show any for you; you can't be nice this time." I nodded, only half listening and paying attention to his presence. The sound of his phone vibrating in his pocket made my heartbeat quickened. He gave me a look of confirmation. "You ready?"

"Yes." I squeaked as he laid a hand on my shoulder, moving me along with him. The way from the back entrance to the diva's locker room was fairly short, so thankfully no one saw me. Randy gave me a final wordless pat as I opened the door. John was right; no divas were in sight. I walked around the corner and pressed my self to the wall, where she wouldn't be able to see me right away upon entering. Randy would be in route to Vince's office now, and I was still waiting. Until the door opened.

—

**Randy's POV**

Vince's office wasn't exactly near the divas locker room, and I nearly had to jog to reach it. I opened the door without knocking, expecting to see him sitting behind his desk. Well, _he _wasn't sitting at all.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Triple H growled, looking up as I barged in.

"Fuck." I muttered underneath my breath. "Where's Vince?" I asked quickly. Maybe I could still reach him in time, maybe he was nearbye-

"He's not here tonight."

"What? What do you mean?" I demanded, walking closer to his desk. Paul watched me with the glare of a hungry predator.

"If you have a problem, Orton-"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do have a problem, and you have to listen to me." I said. Paul's grimace never faded, but I continued. I knew I couldn't waste time. "Lacey's here-"

"_What_?" He exclaimed, reaching a new level of anger and standing up.

"Paul, just listen to me, man-"

"The hell with that! I don't owe you anything. She needs to leave this building this instant." He walked around the desk and stood in front of me imposingly, and I struggled to keep calm.

"Paul, I know we don't see eye to eye. You don't have to like me, but please just listen; we don't have much time." He said nothing, so I continued. "Back when Lacey was still champion, she and a couple of other people went out to celebrate. Candice put something in her drink." Paul opened his mouth, but I just kept talking. "That's why she failed her drug test. If you don't believe me, you can just ask John; he was there."

"Did John see this happen?" Paul asked. I paused.

"No-"

"Did you, Lacey, or anyone else see this happen?"

"Not that I know of.."

"Then there's no proof." He said as if he were done discussing the matter. I refused to let this be his final verdict.

"I have proof. Lacey's here now. She's talking to Candice right now. What I need you to do is come and listen outside of the door. Candice will admit it and you can see for yourself." I said.

"What kind of business do you think we run here? You think you can just take matters into your own hands just because you think you know something? That's not how we work around here. Orton, you've officially gone off the wire and I've got enough sense to throw you and Lacey out of this arena right now." He spoke every word sharply like throwing daggers, and I was growing desperate and unsure now. How was I ever convinced any of this would work? But then there was Lacey, working on getting Candice to reveal the truth at this very moment. She never gave up on me. What gave me the right to give up on her?

"Paul." I said looking him in the eye. "You can have me suspended if this doesn't work out, hell you can fire me if you want. Just come and listen. Just trust me for once; I know Lacey. She's not lying." Paul stared me down before he let out somewhat of a growl and moved around me to go out the door.

"If you're wrong about this, Orton, so help me…" I followed after him quickly, not afraid. I knew I wasn't wrong.

—

**Lacey's POV**

"Hello?" A very feminine voice called out. Just the sound of her voice lit an angry fire within me. I stepped around the corner, secretly pleased to see she was stunned. The fire magnified upon seeing the title on her shoulder. She followed me gaze and glanced down at the title, smirking, and shifted it to the other shoulder. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked me. "Perfect really, especially around my waist on TV. Don't you think?"

"Why'd you do it?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"You know, this weighs at least ten pounds. I don't think you need to gain any more weight. The cameras already add ten pounds." She stated innocently. My jaw was beginning to hurt.

"Why did you do it?" I asked more forcefully and took a step forward. She smiled.

"Do what?"

"You know what you did." I said, stepping even closer. She took a step to the side.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't know what you-"

"_Don't._ Play games with me. You know what you did; you spiked my fucking drink!" I yelled. She never flinched and continued smiling. We were now walking in a slow circle around each other. "Or, we could go back even further to every single night that you were jealous of me." She laughed now.

"Me?" She asked, her eyes stretching in mock shock. "Jealous of _you_? Please. If only you knew, honey. How every person backstage talks about you nonstop. And no, not in a good way. You think they're your friends, but trust me; they're not. Your last match against Kelly?" She snorted. "Pitiful. You had everyone laughing. Everyone thinks you've lost your mind."

"At least I can draw without posing for playboy." I retorted. "If you never posed for that, you probably wouldn't even be here now." She laughed like I told a funny joke.

"I am everything you're not." She smirked. "You're the generic Diva, you're not memorable. You're boring; I'm excitement. I was meant for this title, not _you_."

"Is that what you think?" I asked, clenching my fists.

"It's what I know. Oh c'mon, Lacey, you can't be that oblivious can you? Or are you just too stupid to see what everyone else can? You've never had what it takes to make it in this business; you're a weak link. That storyline with Randy? Laughable. I've got men falling to their feet before me. And, uh," She stepped closer, now speaking sickeningly sweet. "Randy's one of those men. I can't believe you're dumb enough to believe someone like him would actually care about you." I was trembling, because I was afraid it was true. Memories. fears, and words flashed through my head. "And you know what else? He doesn't give a damn about a lowlife, worthless, talent-less, fat, ugly bitch like _you_." That was the breaking point.

I lunged forward and brought her to the ground sloppily, feeling my hands go straight for her hair. I bashed her head against the ground."You fucking whore! You don't know _anything_!" I screamed, now throwing a punch. It hit her squarely in this face. I was beyond infuriated at this point though, making it easier for her to overpower me. She pinned me to the ground.

"Can't even fight," She breathed. There was a small stream of blood trickling from her nose. "How's it feel being on your back? Oh, just like any other night, huh?" She slapped my face and I screamed in frustration, wriggling underneath her grip. "It was just too easy to spike your drink. I guess you learned the hard way not to trust everyone you know. It's a shame nobody raped you the night I left you at the club." It was like I was paralyzed with shock. Suddenly, I remembered the night long ago at the club, when I thought it was an accident that I was left behind. Of course, it was no accident.

"That's enough!" A voice boomed out. I struggled to see over Candice's shoulder, but I knew the voice didn't belong to Vince.


	30. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thank you all for your patience and reviews, and please keep them coming; I love reading them! I think I also forgot to mention that this story takes place in 2009, so there's that. Sorry if there was confusion about that. As always, thank you and tell me what you think! xx**

**Lacey's POV**

No, that voice was not Mr. McMahon's, but instead, his son-in law. Paul stood just inside the locker room, and Randy was right behind him. The livid look in Randy's gaze surprised me, and it was aimed directly at Candice. The weight of Candice's body was removed from mine, and I saw a backstage security guard holding her in restraint.

"Take her out of here and to my office, and don't let her leave." Paul ordered to the man holding Candice. He nodded and began to escort her out of the room. I sat up warily as Paul looked to me. "I'm going to need to talk to you after, Lacey." He turned to another security guard standing in the door frame. "Escort her and stand with her outside my office."

"No, I'll take her." Randy spoke up. Paul looked at him for a long moment before he gave a nod and left with the guard, leaving me alone with Randy. The anger was gone and he now looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine...I think." I murmured, heaving myself to my feet. Randy walked over to me, inspecting me. From what I could tell, I was fine. "So Vince wasn't here tonight?" I asked and he shook his head. "How much did Paul hear?"

"We heard enough." He muttered. "I hope you don't believe any of what she said. She was just trying to get to you. Nobody in this business besides her hates you." He told me seriously. I nodded, but I wasn't too sure of that. "C'mon." He walked with me at my pace until we reached the office. We waited together in silence, but that didn't matter. His presence was comforting enough to me.

Finally, the door opened again and Candice was once again being escorted by two security guards. She maintained eye contact with me the entire time that she passed. Upon getting closer, she tried spitting at me, but I jumped back, and the security guard yanked her and kept her moving. I stared her down until she was out of side before noticing Paul standing in the door frame. He motioned with his fingers for me to join him, and I gave one last look to Randy.

"I've got a match coming up. You're staying at the same hotel as the rest of us, right?" He asked me. I nodded. "You can ride with me after my match there so you don't have to call a taxi again." I nodded once again to his words before I stepped inside the office and shut the door behind me.

"Candice will most likely be fired for her actions, but I'll leave that to Vince to sort out. I'm planning on informing him tonight. Candice will be out on an unpaid leave until we decide on her fate. Even though it's been revealed that you were sabotaged, the rules are rules and you will still have to serve the remainder of your suspension, however, this one won't count against you." I struggled to keep up with Paul's talk. "I don't expect you to have another suspension though, Lacey." He told me, as if he were warning me.

"Absolutely not." I reassured him and he nodded.

"WWE will be in contact with you to sort this matter out then. You can now leave." He dismissed me. I stayed in the chair and leaned forward a bit.

"Um, I just...I want to say thank you." I murmured awkwardly. Paul managed to give me somewhat of a smile, which I took, along with a nod. I smiled back and stood from the chair, turning to leave.

"Lacey," Paul called me back and I stopped, looking over my shoulder at him. For the first time, I didn't see dislike in his eyes, or feel hate radiating from him. Only curiosity. "Randy was surprisingly very eager to jump to your defense. Enlighten me. I'm not sure I understand what you and Randy have." I chuckled a little.

"I'm not sure either," I murmured. "I mean..." I struggled to think on the spot about Randy's greatest qualities. To me, there were many. Instead, I smiled lightly. "There's a lot more to him than you know. Or would expect. Deep down, he's a really great person, and I don't believe I truly deserve his company at times." I murmured, smiling because I knew no one else would ever come even close to understanding Randy like I did.

"I think extraordinary people in our lives bring out the greatness in us." He said. "Maybe what Randy needed all along was an extraordinary person." He murmured with a knowing look in his eyes. Maybe he didn't understand like I did, but those words still had truth. "Have a good night."

"Thank you. You too." I said sincerely, and walked out of the room.

I was still in a slight daze from the night's events as I walked with Randy into the hotel. It was late, and Randy and I had suffered from making each other yawn all throughout the car ride to the hotel. Exhaustion was kicking in due to the busy season for Randy, and I had quite an eventful night as well.

"I don't even know where to begin..." I started as we entered the elevator, feeling fully awake now that I was standing. He glanced down at me.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"How to thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything." I said, unable to list every single thing. He seemed surprised.

"No need to thank me, Lacey. You never forced me into helping you." He murmured. The elevator opened and we stepped out together.

"Well, just...accept my thanks. I don't think I could have gone through without you." I said as we walked down the hallway.

"Stop thanking me. If anything, I should be thanking you." He said, stopping by a door that I assumed was his. I stopped as well.

"Thanking me? What for?" I asked in confusion. He stared at me for a moment before he pulled out his room card and slid it into the slot, never taking his eyes off of mine. He pushed down the dark handle and opened the door to a neat room.

"Stay with me and I'll explain it to you." I think my mind imagined the slight edge to his words and it made a tingle go down my spine. He entered the room and held the door open for me as an invitation, which I took. Why wouldn't I; we stayed together several times before.

**Randy's POV**

"Alright, explain." She said as I sat beside her on the bed. I took off my jacket, noticing she still had my jacket on her. I smiled a bit to myself, slightly pleased.

"I'm not sure I can put this in a right way." I murmured, crossing my arms over my chest. I felt her eyes trained on me. "You've done a lot for me." I shrugged, trying to appear as if the matter were small, but her face told me my words weren't the explanation she was looking for. I tried to explain, feeling more vulnerable with each word. "I didn't like it at first. But...you've changed me. You've taught me what a human being is supposed to act like. My life didn't seem to have a purpose before; I just did the same motions every day without really feeling. Now, I feel. I'm...content, I feel content. And that's something I haven't been able to feel in a long time. It's almost automatic whenever we're together."

I couldn't add how extraordinary of woman she was, or how she had somehow managed to capture my attention and take siege of my mind. I couldn't say that my once hatred had turned to fascination, and now fondness. I especially couldn't tell her that her actions and everything that she did made her one of the most beautiful women he had ever met and had in his life.

"Well you know...certain people being out the best in you." She said, somewhat humbly. "You bring out the best in me, Randy. In the ring, and out."

"I think that was what I was trying to say all along." I murmured. "You bring out the best in me too, Lace." The nickname I had heard John and various other people call her slipped from my mind without a thought, and I only realized it when her eyes looked to me. She appeared smug, like a child who had just won an argument with an adult. The grin she flashed me increased her look of innocence.

"Where are you guys going tomorrow?" She asked. I thought briefly.

"We're traveling all day to Iraq." I remembered. I didn't mind seeing the troops, but the flight itself was lengthy. Lacey's gaze dropped, and the smile faltered, switching to only a sluggish half-grin.

"Oh. The tribute. Right." She remembered. I knew she wanted to go; she was supposed to. I wanted her to come along too. I patted her knee, trying to cheer her.

"If I remember right, we leave late Thursday and we should be back sometime early afternoon on Friday." I told her.

"Christmas Day."

"We're doing a live SmackDown taping." I told her. She sighed.

"I just want to come back already. At least I won't miss Wrestlemania season." The light returned to her eyes, and she smiled at me. "This year it's in Phoenix. I can't wait to go home and just..." Her eyes closed for a minute, and she smiled with sweet anticipation. When her eyelids opened, there was a light fire in behind the brown orbs. "Just show-off and perform and...I've waited forever for this moment."

"Still got some time to go." I reminded her lightly, though I couldn't help but feel a bit more lighthearted at seeing her excitement. "Spending Christmas with your family this year?" She sighed a little, coming back down to earth.

"No. This year, I sent my parents on an Island trip, for Christmas. I always spend it with them, but I can't exactly do that this year. It'll be fairly uneventful for me. No snow, just slightly cold in Arizona." She shrugged.

"I can't do much either. I think I'm seeing my family the day after." I told her. "My old man understands." She nodded.

"Well, I guess I should be going now; I don't want to keep you up." She murmured, standing up.

"I can sleep on the way there tomorrow," I offered. Truthfully, I didn't really want her to leave. It seemed so long since I had last seen her. As I told her before, I felt content with her presence. At peace. She smiled a small smile, locking her hands together in front of her.

"No. I can't do that. You need rest now." She glanced down, realizing she had my jacket on, and quickly began shrugging it off.

"You can keep that." I tried to object but she rolled her eyes and draped it behind one of the chairs.

"It might come in handy for you," She said. I stood up, reaching an arm out towards her to pull her to me for a hug. "I'll see you soon. Hopefully." She murmured as her smaller arm wrapped around me back. I placed my other arm around her too, enveloping her in a full hug.

"Absolutely. You know you can stay here tonight." I tried again. I felt her chuckle against me lightly.

"I don't want to be a burden. You be safe, okay? Have a good night." She rubbed my back a bit, before giving me a pat and pulling back. I walked her to the door, and she smiled before walking down the hall. I watched her until she disappeared around a corner and shut the door. It felt slightly uneasy as I changed and got ready to sleep.

I flipped off the few lamps that were on, saving the lamp by the bed for last, when I heard a timid knock. There was already a slowly expanding smile on my lips as I opened the door without hesitation. Lacey stood, in sweats, trying not to smile.

"Is that offer still valid?" She asked.

"Well..." I paused, and she chuckled, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head. "I couldn't say no to you now, could I?" She hit my arm as she passed by me, and I locked the door. Our lack of energy was evident, because we wasted no time waiting for sleep. As we crawled underneath the cover at the same time, I realized how intimate this seemed. I couldn't see her in the dark, but Lacey must have been thinking the same.

"Remember when you used to hate me?" She murmured from her side of the bed.

"I don't think I could forget."

"You know, I hated you too. At first. Can't quite pinpoint why now, though. Maybe because you hated me without giving me a chance."

"Understandable." I said as she mused.

"I sure changed your mind though." She said. My eyes were closed, but I was still smiling lightly at her gentle talking.

"Yep."

"Remember the time we were trying to drive in that storm, but it was just nearly impossible, oh and we had to stop for gas too, and you made me get out and try to pump the gas. I almost got blown away that day and you sat your ass in the car, laughing." I only smiled wider, half asleep already.

**Lacey's POV**

Some people might get offended if someone fell asleep on them, but I was actually somewhat flattered. Randy's gentle breathing told me he was either A) bored of me, B) extremely exhausted, or C) comfortable around me. I hoped it was the latter.

"I wish I was going with you tomorrow." I whispered into the darkness, knowing he couldn't hear me. I continued anyways. "Doesn't feel right if I'm not near you. That's probably why I came back tonight. I really got in too deep with this entire thing. I don't think I can get out now. Maybe I don't even want to." I turned to my side, facing Randy. I stared, now able to slightly see him in the darkness, and reached out hesitantly. Ever so gently, I brushed the backside of my hand across his temple. "I've always hated flying. Just be safe, please." I pulled back my hand and shut my eyes.

No, I didn't deserve Randy's company, but I had become selfish. I wanted him around even if I didn't deserve him. I was like the teenager who filled the shopping carts with materialistic items they wanted, rather than things they needed, but my shopping cart only had Randy, not some cell phone or blouse.

**Randy's POV**

Telling Lacey goodbye was difficult, because I didn't know when I'd see her again. I'd woken earlier than I had previously planned to, because I needed to make an extra stop before going for my flight to see the troops. It was something I barely thought of last night, thankfully. I was also grateful for the fact that I had just enough time to accomplish this task before my flight.

**Christmas Day**

**Lacey's POV**

It was bittersweet watching the troops, because I wanted to be there so badly. Seeing Randy on my TV screen was one of the sweeter moments. It was more bitter and less sweet waking up on Christmas morning alone without presents. Sure, I had enough money to buy my own, but there was no fun about that. Perhaps I'd reward myself with Starbucks later on.

I was sitting on my couch with my laptop, still in PJ's, when the doorbell rang. My heart stopped for a moment, startled, and I froze. Was I suddenly in a movie, and was there someone standing and waiting to surprise me on my doorstep? I put my laptop aside and headed to the door quickly. I opened without checking for signs of life, feeling disappointed when I saw none. Maybe they were hidden outside and waiting to jump out and surprise me. I took a step forward, and my foot hit a small cardboard box. I stared, processing, and suddenly felt stupid for confusing an arrival of a package with an actual person. Real life wasn't like the movies.

I felt even stupider for even expecting Randy to be waiting behind the door. Christmas miracles rarely happened. I sighed and bent down to pick up the box and head back inside. Probably from some family member.

I placed the box on the kitchen counter, when a name immediately caught my attention. Randy Orton. This package was from Randy.

The previous disappointment quickly fizzled like a shaken coke to delight. Randy sent me something, Randy sent _me_ a package on Christmas day. I was beyond touched as I peeled the tape and pulled the flaps open. Inside the square cardboard box was a slightly smaller navy blue velvet box. I must be dreaming.

After blinking a few times, I reached down and pulled the box out. Underneath was a handwritten note, and I looked between the box and note, wondering which to look at first. The tempting box in my hands won.

There in the center was a neatly placed necklace. There was a white gemstone hanging from it, along with a tiny key. It wasn't an overbearingly huge or chunky necklace, instead, it was something I could wear every day. I could only stare at the necklace, stare at all of the beauty and radiance it contained despite it's smallness. I think it was made even more beautiful because Randy had given it to me. I suddenly remembered the note at the bottom of the box, and reached out with my other hand to pull it out and read.

_Lacey,_

_Merry Christmas. I didn't want you to feel down this Christmas just because you were alone, so I hope this gift brightens your morning, and I hope you get it on time. I paid extra for it to arrive this morning. Don't feel bad that you didn't get me anything, because you've given me more this year than anyone else has in a long time. I'm simply returning the favor._

_The gemstone is an opal. I'm pretty sure you told me your birthday was in October. I'll call you tonight._

_Randy._


	31. Chapter 30

**A/N: So sorry about not updating in a long time, and also sorry if there are any mistakes in this! This chapter was a bit slow, but I already have cute ideas for the next chapter, which might include breakfast in bed? ;) Please review and tell me your opinions and what you want to see in the next chapter! Thanks, I love you all. :) **

**Lacey's POV**

I stood watching out the window as the sun set, trying to imagine what Arizona would look like with sparkling snowflakes whirling down through the air and dusting the ground, bare tree branches, and everything else with a gentle touch. I don't think I'd ever get to see it here.

My hand instinctively went up to the necklace around my neck and fiddled with the key of it. It was not the first time either; all throughout the day I was reminded of the featherweight object around my neck and it brought a smile to my lips and sent my hand towards my phone to check for missed calls. I knew better than to be impatient, but I was eager to thank Randy, as well as scold him for his present.

Somewhere along the way of waiting, I fell asleep until I was awoke groggily to the sound of ringing. For a second, I frowned in incoherent confusion until I remembered who I was expecting a call from and quickly snapped my phone up. I sat up quickly, glancing at the clock as I answered.

"Hello?" It was 11:58 pm.

"You had me worried. I thought you were ignoring me." Randy's warm voice came through the speaker. A smile lit up my face and I was suddenly wide awake.

"Of course not, I sorta just fell asleep. Did you just land?" I asked, stifling a yawn and sitting up.

"Yeah. It was great seeing all the men and women and their faces when they saw us, and just hearing their stories..." I could imagine him shaking his head, at a loss for words. "You would have loved it, Lace. I sat with John on the way there, he said you've never been to see the troops yet. That'll change, don't you worry. A few of the troops even asked about you."

"I wish I could have been there." I murmured wistfully, biting my lip.

"Me too." His tone suddenly shifted. "So, did Santa Claus pay you a visit, or were you just too naughty this year?"

"Randall Keith Orton, I am very upset with you." I said playfully through clenched teeth. My fingers touched the key and gemstone of the necklace, assuring me that the present was real.

"And why is that?" There was a smile to his voice.

"Well first of all, how dare you." He laughed, and I joined in with him. "I had no idea you were going to get me anything, and I couldn't even get you anything at all. This is completely unacceptable."

"I already told you, Lacey, your presence has been my present." I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "You can laugh if you want, but I am being nothing but serious. I mean, if my life were a movie, before this storyline it would have been full of cobwebs with tumbleweeds, but now you're involved and everything's anew. It's different." There was a fluttering in my chest and I was a smiling idiot as I sat on the arm of the sofa.

"I still want to hit you." I laughed.

"Well," I looked up, startled when I heard the sound of a doorbell. "why don't you open up and take a swing. Give it all you've got." My hand flew up to cover my mouth and the phone fell from my hand and tumbled to the couch cushion before I forced my frozen body to stand. My socks slipped against the hardwood floors as I ran to the front door, unlocking it quickly and pulling it open.

There he was, an expectant smirk on his face and eyes bluer than any body of water I had ever seen. Without even hesitating, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and nestling into his chest.

"This wasn't what I was expecting to get, but I'll gladly take it." He teased, grabbing my waist. I laughed, not wanting to pull away because he was warm despite the chilly air and I could smell his cologne. His hands rubbed my back, and I pulled back a bit to look at him, still wrapped in his embrace.

"What are you doing here? You told me you just landed!" I was still a little shocked to be gazing into his eyes. I felt that he was just going to vanish into the night air because I was dreaming. Perhaps that was why I was still holding onto him, to reassure myself that he was actually here.

"We landed a long while ago, I immediately took the next flight into Phoenix."

"What! Why in the hell would you do that?" I demanded.

"I figured I could spend a day or two here with you before I saw my own family. I mean, if you'll have me, of course."

"Of course you can stay, Randy...but..." I was shaking my head in an ongoing uneasy rhythm of protest. "I'm not more important than your family. You don't have that much time off; you should be in St. Louis with them. This isn't right."

"Hey," He said, gently placing his hand on the side of my face to stop my head from shaking. "My family has each other; they've spent plenty of Christmases without me."

"Yes, but you hardly see them as it is! And ten or twenty years from now, you're going to look back and regret not spending more Christmases with them, Randy! You can't just...you can't." I argued desperately, feeling guiltier by the second.

"Lacey," He said calmly, placing his other hand on my face and now cradling it with both of his large hands. The cold had finally made it's presence known as the air blew it's breeze around us, and the open door of my house leaked its warm light and air, beckoning me back in. Worry kept me frozen in place in front of Randy. "This is my own choice. I'm a man, and I can make my own decisions. Any other Christmas, I probably would undoubtedly be with my family right now, but that was before I met you."

"Me. Me? Randy, this is your family-"

"Like I said before, they have each other," I opened my mouth to argue, but he raised an eyebrow and gave me a stern look that told me he wasn't done speaking. "They have each other. You know what we have?" He asked me, and I knew the answer to his question, but I snorted, looking away when he dropped his hands. "Each other. For the past few months, it's only been you and I. Ten or twenty years from now, I'm not going to regret spending Christmas with one of the only people I can truly consider a friend after years of being alone." I looked back at him uncertainly, and he smiled lightly at me. "Now, are you going to invite me inside, or am I going to have to beg?" I chuckled.

"As guilty as I feel about this..." I murmured as he watched me. "I would be lying if I said I didn't want your company." He opened his arms and I walked forward to hug him again, and we walked to his rental car together, his arm draped over my shoulders.

"I should make you carry my bags for making me stand in the cold." He joked as he pulled his bag out of the car.

"And I should make you get back into that car and back on another plane home." I said, crossing my arms tightly against my body. He smiled knowingly at me.

"But we both know you're not going to do that."

"I think the best memory I have of Christmas was when I was six." Randy was saying as I rested my head on his lap. My eyes were watching his face as he spoke, and my heart jolted when he glanced down at me every so often. "I was normally the first one up on Christmas, waking the whole house up, but that year was different. It was probably four or five in the morning, and I remember someone shaking my shoulder and a voice saying 'Hey, wake up son. Your old man's home.' It wasn't until he said that, that I realized it was my dad's voice and my eyes just flew open."

His smile reached his eyes as he spoke, not really looking at me or anything around us, but rather, reliving his memories of a time of innocence. I had been right all those nights long ago when I was still trying to figure Randy out. He was a real person with real memories, and there were a million more of these stories that he still had not yet shared with me.

"I just flew out of my bed and hugged him real tight. At that point it didn't matter what else was under that tree, having him home instead of just a phone call was the best Christmas present I could have ever gotten." He said, nodding his head in agreement to his words.

"I was always quite spoiled on Christmas, even in the years when my parents struggled. I suppose I still am spoiled." I mumbled, my hand once again touching the necklace around my neck. Randy smiled down at me.

"So, you do like it?" He asked.

"Like it? Randy, I love it. It's one of the best things I've ever gotten."

"I'm sure it doesn't top the year John took you to see The Nutcracker in New York."

"How do you know about that?" I asked in shock, sitting up slowly. He shrugged nonchalantly, looking down at the mug of hot chocolate in his hands.

"Like I said before, I sat with John on the way there. We mostly slept, but we talked too. It's just something that he mentioned." He was still looking down before he took a drink. "He said you were crazy about it."

"Yeah..." I murmured, hugging my knees to my chest. My mind was taken back to a much different time, when John was just about the most important person in my life. I had gotten him tickets for us to go to some major sporting event, I couldn't really remember if it was boxing, or maybe basketball. John had in turn gotten us Broadway show tickets to see George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Everything about it was magical, but I rarely thought of it now, perhaps because John and I were so close to being something that never happened.

When I looked over at Randy, he was waiting patiently for me to say more. I looked away. "It was really considerate of John, and a lovely show."

"It sure beats a little necklace that I couldn't even give you in person." He murmured. I frowned and looked at him quickly.

"Maybe in your opinion. In my opinion, a necklace is better than some Broadway show. I can't see the same show every day, but I can wear this necklace every day." I turned my body to face him, unhappy about his opinion. He rolled his eyes, and it made me feel like I was missing a bigger picture. Was I?

"John planned on getting you those tickets months in advance." Randy said. I didn't know that. "You know what I was doing months ago? Hating you and everyone else, but especially you."

"That makes your gift even more special." I argued stubbornly.

"Lacey, you and John made memories at the show and that night. It's something you'll never forget." He sounded frustrated with me.

"Actually Randy, I haven't thought about that Christmas in years because...John and I...it's a bit...bittersweet to even remember the things we did."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Randy," I cut him off impatiently and he stopped in exasperation. "I don't care what you say, your present beats a lot of other presents I've had by a mile. And besides, you and I are making memories right now." He stared at me for a minute before he looked down with a smile.

"Right. Okay. As long as you like it, I suppose." He murmured. I leaned against his strong arm.

"Trust me, I love it. Now, tell me more of your Christmas stories."

I was blinking slowly, my eyes a bit heavy, but I was too content to sleep. Sleeping is where you felt nothing, and why do that when I could feel happiness now? It didn't matter that it was nearing 3:30 in the morning, I wanted to hear Randy tell me as many stories as he could bare share with me. He had just finished the year when he was a senior in high school, the year his father bought him a car.

"More." I begged, my voice intertwined with delicate tones of exhaustion. I was cuddled up next to his arm underneath the soft blanket we were sharing.

"I've been talking all night; soon you're going to fall asleep on me." He teased. I blinked sleepily.

"I love hearing about your childhood and what your life was like and just hearing you talk." He didn't reply, and when I glanced up at him, he was gazing at the wall thoughtfully.

"I've never really told anyone else these stories. No one really wanted to hear them." He said.

"I do. I expect to know your life inside and out before I turn thirty." He laughed, and the sound was almost as warm as I felt beside him.

"You'll have to wait another day to hear the rest. It's your turn."

"Fine." I agreed. "But first, tell me something?" My fingers found the small key on my neck and held it gently.

"Sure."

"Why did you pick this necklace? Is there any particular reason, or is it just because it had my birthstone?" I asked curiously. He sat looking straight forward with a pursed smile before he glanced down at me.

"I have a secret." I waited for him to go on, but that was all he said.

"Which is...?" I prompted.

"Oh no, it's not that easy." He said. I no longer felt tired as I sat, my mind quickly turning.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked but he still said nothing and instead just bit back a smile. "Randy? Randy, tell me!"

"I'm still waiting to hear more stories from your childhood." He said. I waited in annoyance for a few seconds more, but when it was clear that he wasn't going to say anything more, I sighed.

"Well, you're going to be disappointed because Christmas was fairly the same each year. It doesn't snow here, and nothing relatively exciting happens here, so."

"You said your parents spoiled you each year?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"So, surely something they bought you was better than the necklace I gave you." He said confidently, watching and waiting for me to agree.

"Sorry to disappoint you but, no. They were all materialistic items, and while a necklace could be categorized as that, this one is different."

"Why?" He asked, his eyes flickering from my face to the necklace and back again. I looked down, playing with the hem of the blanket.

"Well," I murmured hesitantly, starting to feel embarrassed. I could feel his curious stare on me. "Maybe because to me, it symbolizes our relationship and how far you've come. As you said before, we kinda hated each other not too long ago. And now...you're probably the closest person in my life right now. No one else would have done what you did to help me." My words stopped awkwardly, and my eyes stayed down long enough to allow the warmth I felt on my cheeks die down. When I looked up at him, it was hard to tell if he was smiling or not. If I had to bet, I would say that he was. "Anyways, it's very late and you're probably exhausted. I don't exactly have a guest bedroom set up so you'll have to share my bed or sleep on this couch."

"I'm not even sure I can fit comfortably on here." He said as he stood up, stretching.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure either. Come on; my bed is comfier anyways."

Randy had now changed from his jeans to sweats, but kept his thin gray long-sleeved shirt on. I, however, already had sweats on and worked on fluffing his pillow so it wasn't so stiff. After we silently crawled underneath the covers, I shut out the light. The room was completely black, and despite the early morning hour, it was still dark outside.

"Not a totally bad Christmas." I concluded with a yawn, staring up at the dark ceiling.

"Not bad at all; I've had much lonelier." He agreed. "Your place isn't bad either."

"Yeah, it's not a bad house. Not exactly what I would call a home though." It was merely a place where I spent the days I had off, and before my suspension, I was rarely here at all.

"I know what you mean." He murmured. "Don't worry, you'll be back on the road again soon." He was right, and it actually made me smile. It was kind of twisted to realize that being on the road was the home that I had come to know. "Goodnight, Lacey. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Of course, Randy; you're always welcomed here. Sleep well, you definitely deserve it." It was quiet for a long time, and I just couldn't fall asleep. The cover stirred as Randy turned to his side.

"Hey, Lacey?" I opened my eyes at the sound of his soft voice.

"Huh?" I asked, trying to determine if I had actually fallen asleep yet.

"I got you that necklace because of the birthstone, but also because of the key." He said. From the sound of his voice, he wasn't able to sleep either.

"What about the key?" I asked. Only silence answered back, and I blinked impatiently in the darkness.

"Think of it as the key to that secret. It's to that secret that I might someday be able to tell you." His words sunk in and I thought carefully before I replied.

"Someday...which means not today, or anytime soon, right?" I whispered, already knowing his answer.

"Right. Someday." He agreed. "Goodnight." I didn't answer, but instead my mind was thinking. It was too tired and foggy to get everything straight though, and the entire evening already seemed like a too far and unrealistic memory, so I finally shut my eyes and waited for sleep to come. It finally did like a thief in the night, but I kept waking up. Each time that I did, the sky was a bit lighter. When it was a deep blue gray, I was groggily aware that I was facing Randy's back, and in close vicinity. I wasn't entirely sure if he had then turned to face me and place an arm around my waist to pull me even closer, because I had fallen asleep again. But, if I had to bet on if he did or not, I would say he did.


End file.
